Climate

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).

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,^[15] with each floor having one or two rooms.^[16] This architectural style was used in order to protect residents from Bedouin attacks.^[17] 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".^[6] It is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction.^[18] The city has some of the tallest mud buildings in the world, with some of them over 30 m (98 feet) high,^[19] 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,^[18] 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.^[20] The foundations of many of the buildings in the city were compromised by the flood waters, eventually leading to their collapse.^[21] It was also the target of an Al Qaeda attack in 2009.^[22][23]

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.^[24][25]

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.^[26]

Gallery

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  View of Shibam
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  City gate
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  View of some "skyscrapers"
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  Two buildings on a street inside the town
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  Street view
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  Architecture pattern
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  Shibam buildings with balconies
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  View of Old Walled City of Shibam
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  View of Shibam