Hadiboh: From Peripheral Village to Emerging City

Abstract

Hadiboh is Soqotra Island's main urban formation. It was the capital until 1999, when the island was administratively divided into two districts: the Eastern District (mudîriyya sharqiya) with Hadiboh as its capital, and the Western District (mudîriyya gharbiya) with Qalansiyah as its capital. The article retraces the evolution of Hadiboh from the 1st century BC, when it was named Panara Tamara, as the main settlement of the island of Panchia, one of the many ancient names of Soqotra. Subsequently, the village of Suq (Shiq in Soqotri) became the main settlement as well as anchorage point for all ships until the end of the 15th century. In early 16th century, when the Sultan of Mahra sought to establish a more permanent presence on the island, Hadiboh regained its status as main settlement. Henceforth Hadiboh was commonly known as Tamarida until the end of the British Protectorate in 1967. The constitution of Hadiboh as a mosaic town is discussed through different phases of immigration starting toward the end of the 19th century until the dawn of the 21st century. Its spatial configuration around three formally constituted neighborhoods symbolizing the town's attachment to the major events in Yemen's modern history is discussed. Its social organization into an ascriptive status hierarchy and the subsequent changes are described. The evolution of the economy from autarkic subsistence based on food bartering and minimal external trade to international ecotouristic desti-nation is explained. Finally, the article briefly highlights Hadiboh's pivotal role in the island's political history, and considers the dilemmas confronting its transformation as well as that of the island.