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The Centre de la Vieille Charité is hosting an exceptional exhibition that highlights a A little-known but fascinating dialogue: the one that connects Marseille to the port of Aden, in YemenThrough ancient works, rare archives, and contemporary creations, Aden–Marseille, from one port to the other It tells the story of more than a century of exchanges, movements and encounters between these two cities which have in common that they are gateways to the world.
This unpublished exhibitionConceived in collaboration with the Louvre Museum, this exhibition brings together major pieces from leading international institutions such as the British Museum, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, and the Arthur Rimbaud Museum. Among other things, it features a twenty Yemeni objects donated to Marseille at the beginning of the 20th century by the Compagnie des Messageries maritimes and the Riès family, direct witnesses to the commercial links that then united the two ports.
The route highlights both economic exchanges and human and cultural movements. From the 1870s onwards, Marseille became a point of reference for many Yemenis, while Marseillais settled in Aden. strategic port after the opening of the Suez Canal. This shared history continues today through the creations of Yemeni artists living in the Phocaean city, who extend the story and offer a contemporary reading of it.
Beyond its historical dimension, the exhibition also underscores the urgent need to preserve a heritage now threatened by conflict, while celebrating the richness of South Arabian civilization and the Kingdom of Saba. The Vieille Charité, more than ever a place of research and education, invites us to take a sensitive look at the objects, archives, and human stories that traverse the Mediterranean.
Aden–Marseille, from one port to the other
Center of the Old Charity
2 rue de la Charité, 13002 Marseille
Until March 29, 2026
Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 18 p.m.
Price: €6 (€3 reduced) – Free on the first Sunday of the month
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