Inhabitants

Since the island has been isolated for centuries, its people have their own culture and language. The inhabitants live in harmony with nature and their lifestyle could even remind us of a prehistoric way of living. The local population is mainly composed of aboriginal inhabitants of Socotra. Other inhabitants are Afro-Arabs who speak an ancient tongue, which does not exist in written form and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Another specific and interesting feature of the local culture is the way of greeting. Upon meeting, men touch each other’s noses and to make the greeting even more personal, they shake right hands at the same time. The Socotranians also keep the traditional Muslim way of life including men and women division. Men are expected to be hunters and breadwinners and women look after their home and children. Single women cover themselves in beautiful and colourful headscarves whereas married women prefer darker, more decent and conservative colours. In general, the locals are very modest, peaceful and friendly. Their source of livelihood depends on fishing on the coast and hunting for wild goats, gathering fruits, plants and resin in the rest of the island. The people on the coast live in houses built of stones and those living inland dwell in caves.