Shibam, Ancient mud-brick city in Hadhramaut, Yemen
The vertical city contains over 500 tower blocks rising up to eleven stories, built entirely from sun-dried mud bricks in the desert landscape.
Following devastating floods in 1532, inhabitants reconstructed Shibam, establishing the current architectural layout that defines the settlement's appearance.
The tower houses incorporate traditional Islamic design principles, featuring ground-level security measures and ornate windows on upper floors for family quarters.
Regular maintenance requires workers to apply fresh layers of mud coating on exterior walls to protect buildings from environmental elements.
The dense concentration of multi-story mud buildings creates a vertical urban plan that emerged from the need for protection against desert raiders.
Location: Shibam District
Inception: 16 century
Elevation above the sea: 683 m
GPS coordinates: 15.92670,48.62625
Latest update: May 26, 2025 21:07
Yemen offers photographers subjects ranging from the ancient mud architecture of Sanaa to volcanic craters and the geological formations of Socotra. The Old City of Sanaa presents multi-story tower houses decorated with white gypsum patterns, while Shibam in Hadhramaut displays mud-brick high-rises dating from the 16th century. The fortress of Kawkaban sits atop a high plateau, the village of Hababah demonstrates traditional mountain architecture, and Shaharah Bridge connects two mountain peaks at an elevation exceeding 8,500 feet (2,600 meters). Socotra features Detwah Lagoon, dragon blood trees and limestone caves within its distinct ecosystem. The crater of Haradha Damt is an extinct volcano near Damt, the Marib Dam represents Sabaean engineering from antiquity, and the ruins of Arsh Balqis mark an ancient temple site. Wadi Dawan cuts through Hadhramaut with palm groves and mud villages, Jabal al-Nabi Shu'ayb reaches 12,028 feet (3,666 meters) as the highest peak on the Arabian Peninsula, and Zabid preserves its role as a historic center of Islamic scholarship. Sira Fortress in Aden occupies a volcanic rock above the harbor, Dar al-Hajar in Wadi Dhahr is an 18th-century palace built on a rock outcrop, and Al Saleh Mosque in Sanaa dates from 2008.
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