Shibam
Shibām Ḥaḍramawt
شِبَام حَضْرَمَوْت District | Shibam[1] | |
---|---|---|
Population | ||
• Total | 7,000 | |
Time zone | GMT+3 | |
Arab States |
Shibam Hadramawt (
History
The first known inscription about the city dates from the 3rd century CE.[6]
In the 20th century, it was one of the three major cities of the
The city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List[8] in 1982.[9]
In 2008, a tropical cyclone flooded Shibam.[10]
During the
Geography
The town is located in the central-western area of Hadhramaut Governorate, in the desert of
Climate
Shibam has a
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[14] |
Architecture
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
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
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
-
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
-
View of Shibam
See also
References
- ^ a b "Districts of Yemen". Statoids. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
- ^ Al-Bayan(in Arabic). 30 July 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ a b بلدة شبام حضرموت. Mawdoo3.com (in Arabic). 6 April 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ Weather.com. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ "In Pictures: Yemen's 'Manhattan of the Desert' risks collapse". Aljazeera. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Wadi Hadramowt and walled city of Shabam". ShibamOnline.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
- ISBN 978-1-8416-2212-5.
- World Heritage List
- ^ a b Bricks and mortar fire: Yemen’s cultural heritage is in the crosshairs.17 December 2015.
- ^ Gulnaz Khan, This Ancient Mud Skyscraper City is the 'Manhattan of the Desert'. National Geographic.
- ^ Yemen suffers cultural vandalism during its war.
- ^ This Ancient Mud Skyscraper City is the 'Manhattan of the Desert'. National Geographic.
- ^ Maggie Michael, Report details damage to ancient Yemeni archaeological sites 15 November 2018.
- ^ "Climate: Shibam". Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- .
- JSTOR 1504639.
- ISBN 9780429534805– via Google Books.
- ^ a b Old Walled City of Shibam, UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- .
- ^ "Death Toll Mounts In Tropical Storm". CBS13.com. 26 October 2008. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
- ^ "Historic Town of Shibam Hadramout Escapes Flooding Largely Unscathed". ITN Source. 3 November 2008.
- ^ "Al Qaeda blamed for Yemen attack". CNN. 16 March 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
- ^ "Al-Qaeda in Yemen:Political, Social and Security Dimensions". Yemen Post. 12 April 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- 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.
- S2CID 257805765.
External links
- Shibamonline.net
- Shibam at Archnet.org
- World Heritage Site
- Official website of the Al-Quaiti Royal Family of Hadhramaut
- Shibam at TravelAdventures.org
- Shibam, Yemen – Ciudad de Tierra at YouTube
- Shibam at YouTube
- اليمن ـ شبام حضرموت (in Arabic)
- Shibam / Shabwa