Yemen doesn’t usually top the list of the average traveler’s places to visit in a lifetime, but seasoned travelers realize that there usually more than meets the eye in even the lesser known destinations. Towards the eastern section of Yemen you’ll find the small walled-in city of Shibam. The city, now more than 16 centuries old, was once occupied by a mere 7,000 people in 500 joined houses.
The city left a unique mark on the Wadi Hadramawt area of Yemen, with houses made of mud on concrete foundations constructed mostly on the side of a large cliff. Each of the major buildings ranged in height from 5 to around 11 stories, placing each in a unique position. The incredibly tall houses and buildings, combined with their awkward positioning on the side of the cliff, earned Shibam (as a town) the title of the oldest skyscraper in the world. It is also affectionately referred to as the “Manhattan of the Desert.”
Design and building codes in Shibam are simplistic. Any building that is destroyed must, by law, be rebuilt to match the one that existed in its place before it. The laws are so strict, in fact, that homes must be the same height with every single window and door in the exact same position as the original.
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One of the premier natural ports in the world, Aden is located on the eastern shore of the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden. The ancient natural harbour of Aden lies in the crater of an extinct volcano, which is the site of the old city. This area now forms a peninsula that is joined by an isthmus to the mainland. Aden has several distinct areas including the crater, the old city and original port; Ma'alla the present day port; Tawahi called as "Streamer Point"; Khormaksar located on the isthmus.
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Rising from the valley floor like a mirage, the 450-year-old mud brick towers of Shibam in Yemen are the world’s first skyscrapers – dubbed the Manhattan of the Desert.
The 500 tower houses, made from mud mixed with chaff and hay, have withstood 113F (45C) heat, floods and, last Sunday, an explosion caused by suspected Islamic militants that killed four South Korean tourists and their local guide.
Inside the walled fortress, a Unesco World Heritage Site, the streets are eerily quiet in spite of the 7,000 residents.
Families pass silently from building to building high up along connecting corridors – built to protect early inhabitants from attacks by Bedouin nomads.
To the right of the picture, a gateway is one of only two entrances cut through the city’s protective outer wall.
The mud walls of the tower houses – five to eight storeys and up to 130ft high – are thickest at the bottom for stability.
By law, any rebuilding must follow the shape of the original structure.
The arched window frames are made from the leafless nabaq tree and some towers are whitewashed with lime to slow down erosion by heat and rain – the crumbled house to the left shows why this is needed.
The city’s design serves as a giant air-conditioning unit, creating maximum shade.
Each building is usually used by one family. Food and cattle are kept on the ground and first floors.
The second storey upwards is a living area, with kitchens and entrances to the corridors on the fourth floor.
Mike Nelson took this picture at sunset from a vantage point 1,500ft above the city
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In the late 1980′s Ali Nasser Mohammed became president of Yemen. He recognized the unique position held by the 100,000 people living in Shibam and took action to protect the area – the city is situated on the pathway to Saudi Arabia. Shibam and Wadi Hadramaut are now listed on Unesco’s World Heritage List and there are now plans in place to ensure for the renovation and preservation of the city.
There is an urgent need to begin repairs immediately. The most important tasks at hand are temporary repairs to the city walls and patches to the Muza dam. If the dams are not repaired, flooding will continue to plague the city and the buildings constructed of mud will be destroyed. The flooding has brought a general dampness to the area, and if it is not controlled there will be no chance of actually saving the city from future ruin.
Even though Shibam’s buildings are archeological anomalies, it’s important to remember that the city is not dead. Families have lived in the area for generations and plan to stay for years to come. The government has asked for help in not only preserving the city itself, but in aiding the people to become more self-sufficient. As of today, inhabitants continue to rely on emigrants sending them food, supplies, and money.
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