HISTORY

HERALDRY

Kingdom

Republic

Democratic Yemen

United Yemen

Armed Forces

History

The imamate of  Yemen was under ottoman rule since 1517. In 1918 it became an independent kingdom. On 27 September 1962, after the death of king Ahmad al-Nasirhisa son Muhammad al-Mansur was deposed only a few days after his accession to the throne and a republic was proclaimed. The king however succeedewer to maintain his power in a part of his kingdom until 1965.

The region of Democatic Yemen (Al-Yaman ad-Dimuqratiya) became a british protectorate with the name of Aden Protectorate. In it were the sultanates of Kathiri, Socotra and Qu’aiti. In 1959/’60 some emirates and sulatnates united into the Federation of South Arab Emirates. After the entry of the Crown Colony of Aden, Socotra and Abd-el Kuri the South Arab Federation was founded.

On 30 November 1967 the Democratic Republic of Yemen (Al-Yaman ad Dimuqratiya) was proclaimed there which changed its name in 1970 into Demecratic People’s Republic of Yemen (Al-Djamhuriyat al-Yamaniyat ad-Dimuqratiat as-Shabiya).

On 22 May 1990 North and South Yemen were united into the Republic of Yemen (Al-Djamhuriyat al-Yamaniya).

Heraldry

KINGDOM OF YEMEN

Al Mamlakat al-Mutawakkiliyat al Yamaniyat

1904-1962

Riyal 1926

Riyal, 1948

Initially the emblem of the kingdom was a crescent (symbol of state)  inscribed with the name of the ruler. In 1948 two swords, symbol of the armed force, were added.

A coat of arms for king Ahmad was adopted in 1956. This shows the Marib dam, an irrigation work considered in antiquity to be a great technical achievement. It is situated about a hundred kilometres east of Sanaa.

In the arms there is a twig of coffee on theb attlement of the dam because Yemen is probably the homeland of  coffee

Ahmad al-Nasir

1948-1962

Arms: Argent, the Marib-dam per fess Or, masoned Sable, its battelements also Or, in chief a bush of coffee issuant proper between two arabic characters Sable; the base a lake proper.

Crown: The yemenitic royal crown.

Supporters: Two national flags being Gules, between five stars a sword per fess Argent, in saltire.

adopted 1956

REPUBLIC OF YEMEN

In its beginnng the republic continued the use of the royal arms, be it with the royal crown omitted. A new achievement was adopted in the year of the coup. It is almost identical with the achievement of the the United Arab Republic, the flag on its breast having only one green fiev-pointed star. Indeed Yemen was a member of teh UAR since 1958.

Al Djumhuriyah al Arabiyah al Yamaniyah

27.09.1962-1990

Arms: Tierced per pale Gules, Argent and Sable, in fess point a mullet Vert.

Supporter: The Eagle of Saladin Or, winged Sable.

Motto: Ittihad al Imarat al Arabiyah in black Kufic script on a cartouche Or, voided Vert.

Al Djumhuriyah al Arabiyah al Yamaniyah

27.11.1962-1990

After the cease-fire between the republicans and the toyalist in 1965 the royal arms and the republican arms were united. The shield with the Marib dam bacame a triangula shield, point upwards and wa splaced on a torch, symbol of liberty. The eagtle of Saladin was redesigned and two national flags were added.

Arms: Parted per fess Argent and Azure, the Marib-dam per fess Or, in chief a branch of coffee issuant proper, and in base two bars indented Argent.

Supporters: The Eagle of Saladin reguardant Or, winged Sable, behind a torch per pale Or with flames Gules and two national flags being tierced per fess Gules, Argent and Sable, in fess point a mullet Vert, in saltire.

Motto: Ittihad al Imarat al Arabiyah in black Kufic script on a ribbon Vert.

1965

Al Djumhuriyah al Arabiyah al Yamaniyah

27.09.1962-1990

After 1969 a new achievement appeared. The shield with the dam and the twig of coffee  was redesigned thoroughly to avoid associations with the arms of the UAR. The eagle was made white and keeps two nationsl flags and is standing of a scroll with the name of the republic.

Arms: Parted per fess wavy Argent and Azure, in chief the Marib-dam per fess Or and a branch of coffee issuant proper, and in base four bars wavy Argent.

Supporters: An eagle, wings expanded Argent standing on two national flags being tierced per fess Gules, Argent and Sable, in fess point a mullet Vert, in saltire.

Motto: Ittihad al Imarat al Arabiyah in black Kufic script on a ribbon Vert.

 Adopted 1969

AL YAMAN

                                                       (DEMOCRATIC YEMEN)            

Aden Colony

On 19 January 1839, the British East India Company occupied Aden to stop attacks by pirates against British shipping to India.

Until 1937, Aden was governed as part of British India (originally as the Aden Settlement under the Bombay Presidency, and then as a "Chief Commissioner's province). Under the Government of India Act 1935 the territory was detached from British India, and was re-organised as a separate Crown Colony of the United Kingdom; this separation took effect on 1 April 1937 and lasted until  18 January 1963, when the colony was reconstituted as the State of Aden (Wilāyat ʿAdan), within the new Federation of South Arabia. British rule ended on 30 November 1967.

In the colony the heraldic symbols of Great Britain were valid: the royal arms and the royal achievement. On the blue ensign flown in the colony, its badge was on the free end. This consisted of a disc showing an arab dhow. Because it is so very well known on the arab coasts a dhow is also in the arms of Qatar, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

Badge

Badge: Azure, a dhow in full sail Argent, flying from the stern the flag of Aden being Gules a dexter flank Argent; the base barry wavy Azure and Argent.

Governor’s Flag (until 1963)

The flag of the State of Aden was of three breadths blue, white and blue, the white charged with a five-pointed green star and a red paralellogram at the mast-end.

Flag of the State of Aden

Aden Protectorate

1839-1963

The Aden Protectorate (Maḥmiyyat ʿAdan) evolved in the hinterland of the port of Aden and in the Hadramaut following the conquest of Aden by Great Britain in 1839, and it continued until the 1960s.

The Aden Protectorate Levies (APL) were a military force raised for the local defense of the Aden Protectorate. The Levies were drawn from all parts of the Protectorate and were armed and officered by the British military. They used the Lahej emblem of crossed jambiyah (traditional curved double-edged dagger) as their badge.

The Federal Regular Army (FRA) was formed in 1961. It was made up of four battalions of the Aden Protectorate Levies, initially led by British officers. Arabization was instigated and completed by 1965. The new badge was based on the old Aden Protectorate Levies.

A.P.L. Badge

FRA-Badge (© © IWM (INS 903)© IWM (INS 903)© IWM (INS 903)IWN(INS903))

For administrative purposes Aden Protectorate was divided into the Western Protectorate and the Eastern Protectorate.

The Eastern Protectorate came to include six entities (mostly in Hadhramaut):

The Kathiri state of Seiyun

National Flag

Standard of H.R.H. the Sultan [1]

The Qu’aiti state of Shihr and Mukalla

National Flag

Standard of H.R.H. the Sultan [2]

The Mahri Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra

National Flag.

The Arabic legend means “Afrari Government”. [3]

...and three other sultanates: Wahidi Balhaf, Wahidi Bir Ali and Wahidi Haban

The Western Protectorate included 15 entities, five Upper Yafa Sheikdoms and Upper Yafa Sultanate

The boundaries between these polities and even their number fluctuated over time. Some such as the Mahra Sultanate barely had any functioning administration. Not included in the protectorate were Aden Colony or the insular areas of Perim, Kamaran, and Khuriya Muriya that accrued to it.

Federation of South Arabia

1960-1967

The emblem of the federation consisted of a crescent and star wrapped with the national colors. Between the star and the crescent is a djambia, the national arms. 

The crescent and star is the ottoman symbol of the state (in fact of the head of state) and has a long history.

Emblem: A crescent and star Argent, winded round with two ribbons in the colours of the federal flag being tierced per fess Azure, Vert coticed Or, and Sable, and in the centre a djambia proper.

Al Djumhuriyah al Yaman al Shabiyah

30.11.1967-1970

On the day of the proclamation of the republic a flag and national achievement were adoped. The pan-arabac idea was represented by the eagle of Saladin also used by Egypt and Syria. The flag on the escutcheon is also derived from the flag of the UAR but a triangle is added at the mast end, charged with a red five-pointed star.

Arms: Tierced per pale Gules, Argent and Sable, in chief a pile reversed Azure charged with a mullet Gules.

Supporter: The Eagle of Saladin Or, winged Sable.

Motto: Al Djumhuriyah al Yaman al Shabiyah in black lettering in a cartouche Or.

Al Djumhuriyah al Yaman al Dimuqratiyah al Shabiyah

30.11.1970-1990

When, at the occasion of the third anniversary of the republic its name was changed, the name on  the cartouche was changed accordingly.

Arms: Tierced per pale Gules, Argent and Sable, in chief a pile reversed Azure charged with a mullet Gules.

Supporter: The Eagle of Saladin Or, winged Sable.

Motto: Al Djumhuriyah al Yaman al Dimuqratiyah al Shabiyah in black lettering on a cartouche Or.

UNITED YEMEN

Al Djumhuriyah al Yamaniyah

22 .05.1990 - present

The achievement of this republic was adopted on 24 May 1990. It is almost identical to the achievement of former North Yemen with the difference that the eagle is gold now instead of white. Also, the shape of the scroll has been changed and so is, of  course, the name of the country.

Arms: Parted per fess wavy Argent and Azure, in chief the Marib-dam per fess Or and a branch of coffee issuant proper, and in base four bars wavy Argent.

Supporters: An eagle, wings expanded Or standing on two national flags being tierced per fess Gules, Argent and Sable, in fess point a mullet Vert, in saltire.

Motto: Al Djumhuriyah al Yamaniyah in black Kufic script on a ribbon Vert.

Æ See illustration in the head of this essay

Presidential Seal

Armed Forces

Tri service