Shibam Mudbrick HighRise Buildings Tourism

Shibam, often referred to as 'the Manhattan of the desert', is a striking example of early urban planning and a testimony to the ingenuity of the Yemeni people. Towering above the Wadi Hadramaut in Yemen, this ancient city is renowned for its distinctive mudbrick highrise buildings, some soaring as high as 30 meters. These structures, believed to be the world's first skyscrapers, date back to the 16th century and are constructed out of mud bricks. Shibam's highrise buildings are built closely together, forming a protective wall around the town, which served as a fortress to protect against Bedouin attacks. The city's layout, characterized by narrow streets and fortified walls, adds to its uniqueness as a historical urban landscape. The remarkable architecture not only demonstrates the use of traditional building techniques in the desert but also the adaptation of such methods towards the community's socio-economic development over time. Shibam's buildings require constant maintenance due to the vulnerability of the mud bricks to erosion, which adds to the authenticity and cultural significance of this architectural wonder.