Shibam Explained

Native Name Lang:ar
Nickname:Manhattan of the Desert (Arabic: مَانْهَاتَن ٱلصَّحْرَاء)
Chicago of the Desert (Arabic: شِيْكَاغو ٱلصَّحْرَاء)
Settlement Type:Town
Mapsize:300px
Pushpin Map:Yemen#Middle East#West Asia
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Yemen
Pushpin Relief:1
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Hadhramaut
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Shibam
Established Date3:1167
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Total:7000
Timezone:GMT+3
Coordinates:15.9269°N 48.6267°W

Shibam Hadramawt (Arabic: شِبَام حَضْرَمَوْت|Shibām Ḥaḍramawt)[1] [2] is a town in Yemen. With about 7,000 inhabitants, it is the seat of the District of Shibam[3] in the Governorate of Hadhramaut. Known for its mudbrick-made high-rise buildings, it is referred to as the "Manhattan of the Desert" (Arabic: مَانْهَاتَن ٱلصَّحْرَاء) or "Chicago of the Desert" (Arabic: شِيْكَاغو ٱلصَّحْرَاء).[4] [1] [5]

History

The first known inscription about the city dates from the 3rd century CE.[6]

In the 20th century, it was one of the three major cities of the former Qu'aiti Sultanate, the others being Al-Mukalla and Ash-Shihr.[7]

The city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List[8] in 1982.[9]

In 2008, a tropical cyclone flooded Shibam.[10]

During the Yemen Civil War, the city suffered some damage[11] [12] after insurgents detonated a car bomb.[13] There was also coalition bombing in the area. In 2015, UNESCO listed the city as "cultural heritage at risk".[9]

Geography

The town is located in the central-western area of Hadhramaut Governorate, in the desert of Ramlat al-Sab'atayn. Its main road links Sana'a and other cities of western Yemen to the far eastern territories. The nearest towns are Seiyun, seat of an airport, and Tarim, both in the east. Another road, departing from the village of Alajlanya, in the west, links Shibam to Mukalla, the governorate's capital on the Indian Ocean.

Climate

Shibam has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh). At an average temperature of 28°C, June is the hottest month of the year. January is the coldest month, with temperatures averaging 18.6°C.

Architecture

Overview

Shibam, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for its distinct architecture. The houses of Shibam are all made out of mudbrick, and about 500 of them are tower blocks, which rise 5 to 11 stories high,[14] with each floor having one or two rooms.[15] This architectural style was used in order to protect residents from Bedouin attacks.[16] While Shibam has been in existence for an estimated 1,700 years, most of the city's houses originate from the 16th century. Many, though, have been rebuilt numerous times in the last few centuries.

Shibam is often called "the oldest skyscraper city in the world". It is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction.[17] The city has some of the tallest mud buildings in the world, with some of them over 30m (100feet) high,[18] thus being early high-rise apartment buildings. In order to protect the buildings from rain and erosion, the walls must be routinely maintained by applying fresh layers of mud. The city is surrounded by a fortified wall, giving it the name "the walled city of Shibam".

Threats

The mudbrick buildings are frequently threatened by wind, rain, and heat erosion, and require constant upkeep in order to maintain their structures. The city was heavily affected by flooding from a tropical storm in 2008.[19] The foundations of many of the buildings in the city were compromised by the flood waters, eventually leading to their collapse.[20] It was also the target of an Al Qaeda attack in 2009.[21] [22]

In 2015, Shibam was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in danger when violent civil war erupted in Yemen. Historic buildings were significantly damaged during heavy bombing in Sana'a, and remain at risk from armed conflict.[23] [24]

Influences

The Dubai Global Village, an open-air shopping and entertainment complex in the United Arab Emirates, includes a Yemeni pavilion with mud-brick structures intended to evoke the architecture of Shibam.[25]

Gallery

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: . ar:مدينة شبام حضرموت "شيكاغو الصحراء" . ar . https://www.albayan.ae/editors-choice/asfar/2012-07-30-1.1698590 . 30 July 2012 . 22 March 2018.
  2. News: Mawdoo3.com . ar:بلدة شبام حضرموت . ar . http://mawdoo3.com/بلدة_شبام_حضرموت . 6 April 2017 . 22 March 2018.
  3. Web site: Districts of Yemen . Statoids . 21 October 2010.
  4. Web site: 10 November 2020 . In Pictures: Yemen's 'Manhattan of the Desert' risks collapse . 2023-03-15 . Aljazeera . en.
  5. News: . The Ancient City of Shibam: The Manhattan of the Desert . 9 November 2013 . 22 March 2018.
  6. Web site: Wadi Hadramowt and walled city of Shabam. 3 January 2010. ShibamOnline.net. https://web.archive.org/web/20120304065740/http://www.shibamonline.net/eng/wadi13.php . March 4, 2012. dead.
  7. Book: McLaughlin, Daniel . Yemen . . 10: Southeast Yemen . 191–198 . 978-1-8416-2212-5 . 2008.
  8. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/192 Old Walled City of Shibam
  9. http://theconversation.com/bricks-and-mortar-fire-yemens-cultural-heritage-is-in-the-crosshairs-48484 Bricks and mortar fire: Yemen’s cultural heritage is in the crosshairs
  10. Gulnaz Khan, This Ancient Mud Skyscraper City is the 'Manhattan of the Desert'. National Geographic.
  11. https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2018/3/26/yemen-suffers-cultural-vandalism-during-its-war Yemen suffers cultural vandalism during its war
  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20170618112700/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/asia/yemen/shibam-mud-skyscraper-yemen/ This Ancient Mud Skyscraper City is the 'Manhattan of the Desert'
  13. Maggie Michael, Report details damage to ancient Yemeni archaeological sites 15 November 2018.
  14. Land without shade. Hans. Helfritz. Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society. 24. 2. April 1937. 201–16. 10.1080/03068373708730789.
  15. The Architecture of Mud: Construction and Repair Technology in the Hadhramaut Region of Yemen . Jerome . Pamela . Chiari . Giacomo . Borelli . Caterina . . 30 . 2–3 . 1999 . 39–48 [44] . 10.2307/1504639 . 1504639.
  16. Book: Routledge Handbook of Tourism Cities. Alastair M.. Morrison. J. Andres. Coca-Stefaniak. 27 August 2020. Routledge. 9780429534805. Google Books.
  17. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/192 Old Walled City of Shibam
  18. The Hadhramaut . J. G. T. . Shipman . . 15 . 2 . June 1984 . 154–162 . 10.1080/03068378408730145.
  19. News: Death Toll Mounts In Tropical Storm . 26 October 2008 . CBS13.com . 26 October 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090322174111/http://cbs13.com/national/Death.Toll.Mounts.2.848789.html . 22 March 2009 .
  20. News: ITN Source . Historic Town of Shibam Hadramout Escapes Flooding Largely Unscathed . 3 November 2008.
  21. News: . Al Qaeda blamed for Yemen attack . 16 March 2009 . 26 April 2009.
  22. News: . Al-Qaeda in Yemen:Political, Social and Security Dimensions . 12 April 2009 . 26 April 2009.
  23. Web site: . List of World Heritage in Danger: The 54 properties which the World Heritage Committee has decided to include on the List of World Heritage in danger in accordance with Article 11 (4) of the Convention . 2015 . 30 April 2017.
  24. Web site: Bokova . Irina . UNESCO Director-General calls on all parties to protect Yemen's cultural heritage . . In addition to causing terrible human suffering, these attacks are destroying Yemen’s unique cultural heritage, which is the repository of people’s identity, history and memory and an exceptional testimony to the achievements of the Islamic Civilization. . 12 May 2015 . 30 April 2017.
  25. O’Connor . Paul . 2022-01-16 . Spectacular memory: Zombie pasts in the themed shopping malls of Dubai . Memory Studies . 16 . 2 . en . 212–226 . 10.1177/17506980211066579 . 257805765 . 1750-6980.