In Yemen’s desert lies the ancient city of Shibam, with its mud brick skyscrapers symbolizing human adaptability in extreme environments.
Yemen’s fortified ancient city of Shibam dates back to the 16th century and is the oldest city in the world to have relied on vertical construction. When British explorer Freya Stark encountered Shibam in the 1930s, she named it the “Manhattan of the Desert.” This mud brick metropolis was intricately designed, and its positioning and urban planning are a testament to humanity’s strategic capabilities throughout history.
Yemen’s ancient walled city of Shibam
Yemen’s ancient city of Shibam is a feat of engineering in a harsh environment. Located in the Empty Quarter desert, the people who established this city used the resources available to create a flourishing settlement.
The city was settled on an elevated plateau over a massive flood wadi, or river valley. The location has multiple functions. Its vantage point over the surrounding valley gives Shibam a vantage point that was once used advantageously to ward off enemies.
While it is elevated, Shibam is not far from its river oasis, which gives the people vital access to a freshwater source for irrigation and drinking. This is illustrated in Shibam’s surrounding agricultural land, where locals grow various vegetables and herbs such as clover.
Shibam’s urban planning is simply incredible by both old and new standards. The city was built on a rectangular grid bordered by a fortified wall. The layout of the city is both efficient for the everyday citizen and serves as a boon to the city’s defensive capabilities that make use of its elevated position in the valley.
However, what makes the ancient city of Shibam in Yemen unique is its buildings. The high-rises throughout the city are as tall as seven stories high, a remarkable achievement for the time it was built. The buildings are constructed from the soil surrounding the city and combine the local soil, hay, and water left out to bake in the hot desert sun for days, creating bricks.
The ground floors of the buildings serve as grain stores, and the first floor’s windowless construction preserves the grains. The upper floors are used as communal spaces and apartments. Some bridges connect the mud skyscrapers for easy transport from building to building and as a means of escape in times of peril.
The ancient city of Shibam faces extreme challenges as Yemen’s situation worsens. In recent years, weather has threatened the mud skyscrapers Shibam is known for. Yemen’s civil war has also been a significant threat to the city, as bombings have damaged some of the ancient buildings.
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