Manhattan of the Desert: Shibam, Yemen
The city of Shibam, located in the central-western area of
Hadhramaut Governorate, in the Ramlat al-Sab`atayn desert, is best known
for its towering mudbrick skyscrapers. This small town of 7000 is
packed with around 500 mud houses standing between 5 and 11 stories tall
and reaching 100 feet high, all constructed entirely of mud bricks. The
bizarre skyline that the high rise buildings bestow upon the city has
earned Shibam the moniker "Manhattan of the Desert."
Shibam is
often called "the oldest skyscraper city in the world" and is one of the
oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of
vertical construction. Its plan is trapezoidal, almost rectangular; and
it is enclosed by earthen walls within which a block of dwellings, also
built from earth, have been laid out on an orthogonal grid. Shibam was
founded in the 3rd century AD, but most of the houses you see here dates
only to the 16th century, following a devastating flood of which Shibam
was the victim in 1532-33. However, some older houses and large
buildings still remain from the first centuries of Islam, such as the
Friday Mosque, built in 904, and the castle, built in 1220.
In
general the windowless lower floors are used for grain storage, with
areas for domestic use above and those for family and leisure above
that. The main room on the second floor is used by men for socializing.
It often has wonderful carved plasterwork and freestanding decorated
wooden columns supporting the ceiling, while women's areas are found
higher, usually on the third or fourth floor. The highest rooms are for
communal use by the whole family, and on the upper levels there are
often bridges and doors connecting the houses. These are a defensive
feature, but also a practical one – especially for old people who find
it difficult to walk up and down the interminable staircases.
The
houses needed to be rebuilt over the centuries. Rain and erosion have
been constant threats to the buildings here. To protect their homes,
residents must thickly coat the facades and roofs with sealant, and
ensure they are maintained and regularly renovated. Those who can afford
it limewash their houses to protect them against termites.
Shibam was added to UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1982.
