When we think of skyscrapers, words like « modern, » « contemporary, » and « futuristic » often come to mind. However, skyscrapers aren’t new. The origins of skyscraper construction can be traced back 492 years to the ancient city of Shibam in Yemen.
Here, the city’s 7,000 residents lived in residential mud-brick high-rise buildings. Some of these structures rose over 30 meters tall and had up to 12 stories.
While the city was founded around the thrid century, the high-rise construction began after a devastating flood in 1532–33, with the majority of the approximately 500 towers being built during the sixteenth century.
This is the earliest example of vertical construction, which was named the « the Manhattan of the desert » in the 1930s by explorer, Freya Stark, as reported by National Geographic.
Built in the 16th century, the walled city once served as a major stop along the spice and incense trade route across the Arabian plateau.
The mud-brick high-rises were made using sun-dried fertile soil, chopped straw, and water.
The layout of Shibam follows a fortified rectangular grid of streets and squares, strategically designed to protect the city from Bedouin attacks by incorporating protective walls, narrow, winding streets that hindered movement for attackers.
However, the « Manhattan of the Desert » and UNESCO World Heritage Site still faces its own serious threats nowadays.
It was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in danger from 2015 due to the onset of the ongoing civil war.
Shibam is now more fragile than ever due to erosion, and a lack of funding for essential preservation efforts, exacerbated by the continuing conflict.
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