Yemenis preserve craft of dagger-making

STORY: These Yemenis are preserving

thousands of years of culture

Location: Sanaa, Yemen

by crafting traditional

daggers called 'Jambiyas'

Yemenis have adapted

how they make the daggers

Instead of traditional rhino horn,

craftsmen now use deer, caribou or buffalo

VENDOR, AMMAR QABS:

“The rhinoceros horn is not available now, because (hunting it) is now banned locally and internationally, so it is now very expensive. But we now use buffalo horns, and they’re really great, people have really been asking for them recently.”

The daggers were originally for

warriors but are now decorative

and are a status symbol

At a local TV station, hosts wear

them to highlight their identity

HEAD OF THE HAWIYA TELEVISION NETWORK, MOHAMMED ALI IMAD:

“I consider the history of the ‘Jambiya’ - other than the fact that it’s connected to the Yemeni identity – it is also intertwined with our culture across many generations, it is connected to our values, to our traditions. How can I tell who is a Yemeni? When can you point out a Yemeni? The 'Jambiya' distinguishes him from all other nationalities.”