Shibam of Yemen
Near the Empty Quarter Desert, and between the rocky folders of the mountains, Wadi (valley) Hadramout extends by stretching its length internally through the surrounding series of mountains, so as to constitute a fabulously natural portrait; the fame of which is been fenced by these mountains; while its drawing lines were shaped by the artistic hands of ancient Yemenis.
Along the whole length of the Wadi, and situated upon a cliffy plateau centering it, Shibam city rises up with vainglory of solidarity, and pride of self-sustaining in the area to represent the first sky-scrappers city in the world made of mud and clay.
The tall cluster of sun-dried mud brick tower houses of the 16th century walled city of Shibam, which rises out of the cliff edge of Wadi Hadramaut has been described as a 'Manhattan' or 'Chicago' of the desert. Located at an important caravan halt on the spice and incense route across the Southern Arabian plateau, the city of dwellings up to seven storeys high developed on a fortified, rectangular grid plan of streets and squares. The city is built on a rocky spur several hundred metres above the wadi bed, and superseded an earlier settlement that was partly destroyed by a massive flood in 1532-3. The Friday mosque dates largely from the 9th -10th century and the castle from the 13th century, but the earliest settlement originated in the pre-Islamic period. It became the capital of Hadramaut after the destruction in AD 300 of the earlier capital Shabwa, which was located further to the west along the wadi.
In the late 19th century, traders returning from Asia regenerated the walled city and since then development has expanded to the southern bank of the wadi forming a new suburb, al-Sahil. Abandonment of the old agricultural flood management system in the wadi, the overloading of the traditional sanitary systems by the introduction of modern water supply combined with inadequate drainage, together with changes in the livestock management have all contributed to the decay of the city.
The dense layout of Shibam surrounded by contiguous tower houses within the outer walls expressed an urban response to the need for refuge and protection by rival families, as well as their economic and political prestige. As such the old walled city of Shibam and its setting in Wadi Hadramaut constitute an outstanding example of human settlement, land use and city planning. The domestic architecture of Shibam including its visual impact rising out of the flood plain of the wadi, functional design, materials and construction techniques is an outstanding but extremely vulnerable expression of Arab and Muslim traditional culture.
Yemen’s tourism industry is hampered by limited infrastructure as well as serious security concerns. The country’s hotels and restaurants are below international standards, and air and road transportation is largely inadequate. Kidnappings of foreign tourists was a threat, especially outside the main cities, and, coupled with attacks on foreigners in 2007 and early 2008, presented a significant deterrent to tourism.
The clay-formed houses of Shibam city in Hadramout province rise high up the sky clouds by thirty to forty meters lengths, while its floors vary between five to sixteen. The ground floors of such houses vary in wall thickness between one and half and two meters. The higher floors are usually painted by thick layers of white alabster, while the windows were been made of engraved wooden structures artistically sculptured with gometrical designs properly fitted to allow the passing of air currents when being shut. Moreover, immediately beneath the roof tops of such houses, there are small windows with shutters that open and close by the residents with respective to the changes of the weather.
This means that they remain open during every summer season of the year for outflow of warm air and modification of the rooms' weather conditions in each of these houses. While in winters, these windows remain shut in order to block inflow of hot air while the cool air inside all rooms remains unchanged!
On the other hand, Shibam city of Hadramout has a surrounding wall fence the height of which is extending seven meters. This encircling wall has only one entrance gate. The streets all around the internal area of the city are narrow, and with curving rounds and turnings. To give an all-round picture of Shibam Hadramout, it is fair to say that the city looks like a splendid portrait that stimulates great attractions for both the citizens and outsiders!
The same city name is known also to two others. These are Shibam of kukaban and Shibam Al-Farras, both of which geographically related to Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. On one hand, Shibam kukaban is situated in a fertile region placed on the kukaban plateau of a highly steep lowland. The plateau lies on the north-west direction of Sana'a, and the region is about 43 kilometers of a distance. The inscriptions of Al- Masnad ancient writings referred to it by the names "Shimum" and "Du-shimum". The were related to ancient kingdoms of both Sheba and Du-Raydan.
It was also called by other names such as "Shibam Afian", Shibam Himyar" and "Shibam Tahbus". During the period 225-393 Hijria, again it was known "Shibam Yafer" due to its relation with the Yafer descendants of rulers who resided in the region all through that period. Besides building in it their castles, mosques houses, turkish baths, local markets and other facilities, they had also established the barracks and fencing towers. In particular, they left the Big Jame (Mosque) been situated during their rule which exists till now as one of Shibam's elements of archeology. Al-Yafer in fact chose kukaban the capital of their dynasty in Yemen.
Behind kukaban city, and on the mountain itself known as Dhakar, it is possible to view a number of caves engraved inside the rocks. These have remained till today, and are actually cemeteries of some ancient Yemeni people that lived before the birth of Islam. Such a grave yard area located on a mountain is also common in Shibam Al-Farras and Wadi Dhahr.
On the other hand, Shibam Al-Farras is the third Yemeni region situated 25kilometer north-east of Sana'a. Similar to Shibam kukaban, the area was relatively refereed to in the Masnad writings as "Hijrat Shibum", "Da Shamum" and " Shumum". It has faced an incident of destruction during the fifteen century A.D. when it was known "Shibam Bani-al-Sukheimi". Before the third century BC, the city was at the height of its prosperity, together with other Yemeni cities located at the basis of the highlands. At that time, its citizens were originating of the Yarsum tribe who were recalled in the ancient records, which dated back to the third century BC.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
