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Shibam

Coordinates: 15°55′37″N 48°37′36″E / 15.92694°N 48.62667°E / 15.92694; 48.62667
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the coastal trading vessel, see MV Shibam.
For the city in the central Yemeni highlands, see Shibam Kawkaban.

Shibam
Arabic: شِبَام حَضْرَمَوْت, romanized: Shibām Ḥaḍramawt[2][3]
Town
Old Walled City of Shibam
The city with the Hadhramaut Mountains in the background
The city with the Hadhramaut Mountains in the background
Nickname(s): 
Manhattan of the Desert (مَانْهَاتَن ٱلصَّحْرَاء)
Chicago of the Desert (شِيْكَاغو ٱلصَّحْرَاء)[2][4]
Shibam is located in Yemen
Shibam
Shibam
Location in Yemen
Shibam is located in Middle East
Shibam
Shibam
Shibam (Middle East)
Coordinates: 15°55′37″N 48°37′36″E / 15.92694°N 48.62667°E / 15.92694; 48.62667
Country Yemen
GovernorateHadhramaut
DistrictShibam[1]
Population
 • Total
7,000
Time zoneGMT+3
Official nameOld Walled City of Shibam
TypeCultural
Criteriaiii, iv, vi
Designated1982; endangered as of 2015
Reference no.192
RegionArab States

Shibam (Arabic: شِبَام حَضْرَمَوْت, romanized: Shibām Ḥaḍramawt),[2][3] officially the Old Walled City of Shibam (Arabic: مدينة شبام القديمة وسورها), is a town in Wadi Hadhramaut in eastern Yemen with about 7,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Shibam District in the Hadhramaut Governorate.[1] It is known for its mudbrick-made high-rise buildings, with some of the buildings reaching as high as 11 stories. The design was in order to protect the residents of the city from Bedouin attacks.

The city was founded around the 3rd century and became the capital of the Kingdom of Hadhramaut in 300 AD. Its strategic location along ancient trade routes contributed to its prosperity. Shibam has been continuously inhabited for an estimated 1,700 years. In 1982, Shibam was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique architecture and cultural significance. it is referred to as the "Manhattan of the Desert" (مَانْهَاتَن ٱلصَّحْرَاء) or "Chicago of the Desert" (شِيْكَاغو ٱلصَّحْرَاء).[5][2][4]

History

[edit]

Ancient history

[edit]

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

The origins of the city of Shibam date back to the pre-Islamic period, when the city rose to prominence until it became the capital of the Kingdom of Hadhramaut in 300 AD, after the destruction of its previous capital, Shabwa, located in the far west of the Hadhramaut Valley.[7]

Modern history

[edit]

In the 20th century, it was one of the three major cities of the Qu'aiti Sultanate, the others being Al-Mukalla and Ash-Shihr.[8]

The city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.[9][10]

The 2008 Yemen cyclone flooded Shibam causing some of the buildings to collapse.[11]

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

Architecture

[edit]
See also: Architecture of Yemen

Overview

[edit]
External videos
video icon Old Walled City of Shibam (UNESCO/NHK) (via UNESCO)
The mud bricks used in building the towers

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, the present town dates to 1533.[17] Many houses, though, have been rebuilt numerous times in the last few centuries.

Roofs of the towers

Shibam is often called "the oldest skyscraper city in the world".[6] It is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction.[10] The city has some of the tallest mud buildings in the world, with some of them over 30 m (98 feet) 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,[10] giving it the name "the walled city of Shibam".

Threats

[edit]

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]

Culture

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Main article: Culture of Yemen
Eid celebrations in Shibam

Geography

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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.[citation needed]

Climate

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Shibam has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh). At an average temperature of 28.0 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit), June is the hottest month of the year. January is the coldest month, with temperatures averaging 18.6 °C (65.5 °F).

Climate data for Shibam
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 24.0
(75.2) 		25.3
(77.5) 		27.4
(81.3) 		29.5
(85.1) 		31.8
(89.2) 		33.4
(92.1) 		32.5
(90.5) 		31.8
(89.2) 		30.8
(87.4) 		29.0
(84.2) 		26.7
(80.1) 		25.3
(77.5) 		29.0
(84.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 18.6
(65.5) 		19.9
(67.8) 		22.1
(71.8) 		24.3
(75.7) 		26.7
(80.1) 		28.0
(82.4) 		27.5
(81.5) 		26.9
(80.4) 		26.0
(78.8) 		23.3
(73.9) 		20.8
(69.4) 		19.8
(67.6) 		23.7
(74.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 13.3
(55.9) 		14.6
(58.3) 		16.9
(62.4) 		19.2
(66.6) 		21.7
(71.1) 		22.7
(72.9) 		22.6
(72.7) 		22.1
(71.8) 		21.3
(70.3) 		17.6
(63.7) 		14.9
(58.8) 		14.3
(57.7) 		18.4
(65.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 8
(0.3) 		5
(0.2) 		17
(0.7) 		10
(0.4) 		3
(0.1) 		0
(0) 		3
(0.1) 		4
(0.2) 		1
(0.0) 		0
(0) 		5
(0.2) 		8
(0.3) 		64
(2.5)
Source: Climate-Data.org[25]
[edit]
  • View of Shibam
    View of Shibam
  • City gate
    City gate
  • View of some "skyscrapers"
    View of some "skyscrapers"
  • Two buildings on a street inside the town
    Two buildings on a street inside the town
  • Detail of intricate wooden door
    Detail of intricate wooden door
  • Interior of one of the buildings
    Interior of one of the buildings
  • Street view
    Street view
  • Architecture pattern
    Architecture pattern
  • Shibam buildings with balconies
    Shibam buildings with balconies
  • Video of several scenes of Shibam
  • View of Old Walled City of Shibam
    View of Old Walled City of Shibam
  • View of Shibam
    View of Shibam
[edit]

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.[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Districts of Yemen". Statoids. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d مدينة شبام حضرموت "شيكاغو الصحراء". Al-Bayan (in Arabic). 30 July 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b بلدة شبام حضرموت. Mawdoo3.com (in Arabic). 6 April 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b "The Ancient City of Shibam: The Manhattan of the Desert". Weather.com. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  5. ^ "In Pictures: Yemen's 'Manhattan of the Desert' risks collapse". Aljazeera. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Wadi Hadramowt and walled city of Shabam". ShibamOnline.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  7. ^ shawahed (19 January 2022). "مدينة شبام حضرموت الأثرية - أقدم ناطحات سحاب في التاريخ". شواهد (in Arabic). Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  8. ^ McLaughlin, Daniel (2008). "10: Southeast Yemen". Yemen. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 191–198. ISBN 978-1-8416-2212-5.
  9. ^ a b Varoutsikos, Bastien (16 December 2015). "Bricks and mortar fire: Yemen's cultural heritage is in the crosshairs". The Conversation. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Old Walled City of Shibam". World Heritage Convention.
  11. ^ "This Ancient Mud Skyscraper City is the 'Manhattan of the Desert'". National Geographic Society. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  12. ^ "This Ancient Mud Skyscraper City is the 'Manhattan of the Desert'". National Geographic Society. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  13. ^ Michael, Maggie (15 November 2018). "Report details damage to ancient Yemeni archaeological sites". Phys.org.
  14. ^ Helfritz, Hans (April 1937). "Land without shade". Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society. 24 (2): 201–16. doi:10.1080/03068373708730789.
  15. ^ Jerome, Pamela; Chiari, Giacomo; Borelli, Caterina (1999). "The Architecture of Mud: Construction and Repair Technology in the Hadhramaut Region of Yemen". APT Bulletin. 30 (2–3): 39–48 [44]. doi:10.2307/1504639. JSTOR 1504639.
  16. ^ Morrison, Alastair M.; Coca-Stefaniak, Andres (2021). Routledge handbook of tourism cities. Routledge handbooks. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-19999-9 – via Google Books.
  17. ^ Jerome, Pamela; Chiari, Giacomo; Borelli, Caterina (1999). "The Architecture of Mud: Construction and Repair Technology in the Hadhramaut Region of Yemen". APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology. 30 (2/3): 39–48. doi:10.2307/1504639. ISSN 0848-8525. JSTOR 1504639.
  18. ^ Shipman, J. G. T. (June 1984). "The Hadhramaut". Asian Affairs. 15 (2): 154–162. doi:10.1080/03068378408730145.
  19. ^ "Death Toll Mounts In Tropical Storm". CBS13.com. 26 October 2008. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  20. ^ "Historic Town of Shibam Hadramout Escapes Flooding Largely Unscathed". ITN Source. 3 November 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  21. ^ "Al Qaeda blamed for Yemen attack". CNN. 16 March 2009. Archived from the original on 17 March 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  22. ^ Al-Ghabri, Mohammed (12 April 2009). "Al-Qaeda in Yemen: Political, Social and Security Dimensions". Yemen Post. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  23. ^ "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". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  24. ^ Bokova, Irina (12 May 2015). "UNESCO Director-General calls on all parties to protect Yemen's cultural heritage". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 30 April 2017. 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.
  25. ^ "Climate: Shibam". Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  26. ^ O’Connor, Paul (16 January 2022). "Spectacular memory: Zombie pasts in the themed shopping malls of Dubai". Memory Studies. 16 (2): 212–226. doi:10.1177/17506980211066579. ISSN 1750-6980. S2CID 257805765.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shibam.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Shibam.
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