# The Most Ancient Skyscraper on Earth - Shibam



## shibamian (Aug 10, 2007)

*More Info*










It is called Ad-Doumna or Safra’a ( The Yellow ), and is located in the middle of wadi Hadhramout ( Hadramot Valley ) at the rowest point of it by a road bifurcate

On a hill 30m higher than the Wadi level. Shibam is 19km from Seiyoun on the paved road leading to Mukalla. Shibam was built on the ruins of an ancient city of Hadhramout. The natives of Old Shabwa settled in Shibam after the destruction of their city. There is similarity between the two names. The city had been the most important market in Hadhramout and a significant administrative center for many centuries up to the 16 century AD. It has been destroyed by floods several times, most recently in 1532.

Shibam looks, from a distance, like an imposing castle with its lofty houses, some of which are 7 floors high, forming close blocks separated by lanes and squares. There are about 500 houses built of straw reinforced mud bricks and wood, the houses are almost equal in height. Some women of the city visit their neighbors across skywalks from one rooftop to another in order to save time and effort or between the floors there are doors leads you to the next house without going outside. Some houses dates back hundreds of years. The city has one gate, which was last maintained in 1909.

The city was visited by pioneering European travelers who called it the Manhattan of the desert. UNESCO placed Shibam on its Human Patrimony list and , in 1984, announced an international campaign for its protection. Shibam is the most beautiful Yemeni city after Old Sana’a.

The Most Important Features of Shibam Hadhramout

- The great Mosque, built in the era of the Abbaside Caliph Haroun Al-Rasheed in the early 10th century AD.

- The historical Fort of Shibam: which was built by Bin Mahdi during the early 13th century. AD. And the city wall dating back to the 17th century AD.


More is coming

bye


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## forrestcat (Apr 21, 2006)

Love it. It's it's on another planet.

:banana:


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## Luis_RiodeJaneiro (Jan 21, 2006)

welcome and thanks for the beautiful pics !


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## shibamian (Aug 10, 2007)

thanks Luis_RiodeJaneiro

more is coming

rgds


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## hoogbouw010 (Sep 10, 2002)

Amazing density.
If you can make pics on street level, that would be great.


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## manitoon (Jan 10, 2006)

beautiful city .. I would love to visit this place some time .. which country is this in ? 

I can imagine life in this city would be great .. please tell us about that as well


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## neorion (May 26, 2006)

That looks sensational...

Thanks for posting :cheers:


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## Aztec Eagle (Sep 11, 2006)

*tatooine*

Wow its amazing looks like a tiny adobe New York city or a city from another planet .

Heres a picture of its busy streets.

Shot at 2007-08-15


Heres a REAL pic!

Shot at 2007-08-15


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## elfreako (Mar 7, 2004)

I went to Shibam in 2002. It's a really big hassle getting there, 2 days on the bus from Sana'a via Aden and Mukalla with so many police roadblocks. I suggest you fly there instead. The people were extremely friendly. Got heaps of free food, tea, qat (drug plant), and transport. I tried to pay, but they would have none of it!:lol: 

I'm pretty sure Star Wars was filmed in Tozeur, Tunisia.


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## Klausenburg (Jul 25, 2007)

*The real Arabia!*

It is very good that we finally found out about the real cities of Arabia not the not the fake ones like Dubai, Abu Dhabi or other so called 'city' which 50 years ago was a poor village, and 500 years didn't even exist! 
Thanks for pics! It woul be very interesting to post some pics from ground level and some info's about the way that that it's citizen are living today.


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## shibamian (Aug 10, 2007)

*thank you all*

thank you all for your pass

I have many pics for the street level

I will post them ASAP, I believe the pics will be enough to find out how is people are living there




regards


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## rocky (Apr 20, 2005)

yeah, more pics..!!


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## Jünyus Brütüs (Jul 9, 2007)

i want to see street level pics too and do you have pics from inside of these buildings? looks wonderfulll!


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## KevD (Jan 14, 2007)

I love how there's not one straight building hahaha... looks like a cool place though... so unique...


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## shibamian (Aug 10, 2007)

Kafkas,

here are pics from inside the city and inside houses too

open the link below

http://www.alshibami.net/shipic/shipic.htm


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## Jünyus Brütüs (Jul 9, 2007)

thanks for the link, some need renovation but still nice, i want to go middle ages with a time machine for see the life in this city 500 years ago


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## ØlandDK (May 29, 2005)

Looks very cool! Thanks for showing


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## tykho (Oct 18, 2004)

Aztec Eagle said:


> Heres a REAL pic!
> 
> Shot at 2007-08-15


Amazing. it looks surreal.


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## xXFallenXx (Jun 15, 2007)

^^ yeah, this place doesnt even look like it is real. damn i wanna go there now.


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## UltraLeo (Mar 29, 2007)

Wow! Sttuning pictures! Beaultiful city! It deserves a banner!


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## Tumbling Dice (Aug 28, 2007)

the spliff fairy said:


> Shibam is truly gorgeous, a jewel in the desert.
> 
> If ya think Shibam is impressive... any pics of the capital, Sana'a, Shibamian?



I have pics but I don't wanna derail the thread ... maybe time for a Sana'a thread ??


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

I dont think this thread will last much longer on its own, put them on!


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## Tumbling Dice (Aug 28, 2007)

As promised .. a few shots of Sana'a ..


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## Tumbling Dice (Aug 28, 2007)




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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

These highrises are up to 700 years old, a sea of ancient buildings. The city houses 1,750,000:

The ancient gate into the labyrinth of the Old City, cars must be left outside:

































































the sprawl, medieval style


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## Tumbling Dice (Aug 28, 2007)

Hard to believe cities like this still exist. Incredible pictures.


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## philvia (Jun 22, 2006)

Vertigo600 said:


>


that's one creepy pic


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## Tumbling Dice (Aug 28, 2007)

philvia said:


> that's one creepy pic


Only if you been smoking bad weed and watched too many horror films.

What that piccy needs is a big feck off crow :lol:


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## mafun (Aug 11, 2007)

Nice pics. Its amazing how these buildings made of mud bricks can last so long. btw i see a red car in one of those pictures.


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

hundreds of minarets spike the city:









streetscenes and people:



























































a traditional marriage


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## Mussoda (Mar 10, 2007)

this thread is another big time.. yep.. it's marvelous


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## Barriga-Verde (Aug 30, 2007)

Wow!! Unique and amazing!


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## Tumbling Dice (Aug 28, 2007)

Safe to say not built with tower cranes and rebar ... awesome building - imagine the view from the top.






Sana'a is a truly magical city.


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## Saudi guy (Sep 10, 2005)

it back you 500year!!!,really marvelous i wanna go there.


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## ace4 (Dec 12, 2006)

wow, yemeni architecture so unique kay:


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

I am always the fan of Yemen ! Shibam is really wonderful place, how to reach there from Sana'a ? I have so many friends from Yemen, and they are very friendly and gentle.


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## Somnifor (Sep 6, 2005)

Incredible photos, I had never heard of Shibam. This is one of the better threads I have seen here.


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## im_from_zw038 (Dec 5, 2003)

Unbelievable! Just fucking great!


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

I saw pictures of Shibam before, but it always suprises me.
Supurb city. If I could rate it, I would give it a 10/10!


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