#socotra

Сокотра. "Драконий" остров.

Небольшой архипелаг в Индийском океане, главным островом которого является Сокотра, принадлежит Йемену и лежит почти в четырехстах километрах от Аравийского полуострова. Это удаленное место известно своими растениями-эндемиками, около трети всех видов растений Сокотры не встречаются больше нигде на планете. В 2008 году архипелаг был внесен в список Всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО.

Самое известное растение острова, которое стало его символом, — драцена киноварно-красная. У этого вечнозеленого дерева уникальный и странный вид перевернутого зонтика или огромного гриба высотой до 10 м с зелёной шляпкой. Его темно-красную смолу называют «драконьей кровью» и используют в народной медицине и косметологии. Каменистые долины, где сотни необычных деревьев тянут вверх свои ветви, стали визитной карточкой острова.

Socotra. "Dragon" Island.

A small archipelago in the Indian Ocean, the main island of which is Socotra, belongs to Yemen and lies almost four hundred kilometers from the Arabian Peninsula. This remote place is known for its endemic plants; about a third of all Socotra plant species are found nowhere else on the planet. In 2008, the archipelago was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The most famous plant of the island, which has become its symbol, is the cinnabar dracaena. This evergreen tree has a unique and strange appearance of an inverted umbrella or a huge mushroom up to 10 m high with a green cap. Its dark red resin is called "dragon's blood" and is used in folk medicine and cosmetology. Rocky valleys, where hundreds of unusual trees stretch their branches upward, have become the calling card of the island.

Socotra, a stunning Yemeni island in the Indian Ocean is one of our planet’s most significant and preserved natural habitats.

Bottle Tree Paradise

Socotra is one of my favourite places, but when it comes to a specific location, this one stands out. It doesn’t have an official name, as it’s not a destination for the few fortunate tourists who visit Socotra. After shooting there for the past four years and scouting the island, I’ve discovered hidden gems like this one, which I call Bottle Tree Paradise. Bottle trees are unique to Socotra, a result of the island’s long isolation from the mainland. This separation allowed them to evolve distinctive features, such as their bottle-shaped trunks

Benjamin Barakat

Kristina Makeeva Photography

Flowering bottle trees on Socotra Island. These trees are endemic to the island. And they have won my heart with their unique shapes and bark, which can be golden or silver. They can be huge or tiny, in the form of a bottle, a ball, a throne or a palm. They thron create images, awaken the imagination.

@hobopeeba