SHIBÂM HADHRAMAUT

SHIBÂM HADHRAMAUT

‘The Manhattan of the Desert’ as its known is an ancient fortified village about half an hour away from the town of Seiyun. It is often called “the oldest skyscraper city in the world” as it has some of the tallest mud buildings in the world, with some of them 11 storeys high.
It is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. Amazingly, they are all fully inhabited and is more a functioning town than a tourist attraction.
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.

THE ‘KA’BAH’ OF ABRAHÂ

Around 520CE, King Kaleb , the ruler of the powerful Axumite kingdom of Ethiopia , sent an expedition to Yemen against the Jewish Himyarite king, Dhu Nuwas, who was persecuting the Christian community there. Dhu Nuwas was deposed and killed and Kaleb appointed a local Christian Himyarite, as his viceroy. However, around 525CE this viceroy was deposed by the Axsumite general, Abraha with support of Ethiopians who had settled in Yemen, and withheld tribute to his king. He defeated the forces King Kaleb sent and took control of Southern Arabia, Being a staunch Christian he endeavoured to establish a grand church to become the religious centre for Arab pilgrimage. When this failed he marched to destroy the Ka’bah in Mecca and was defeated as is discussed in Sûrah Al-Fîl (Chapter 105). The site where his church once stood is found in an area known as Qullays within the Old City of San’â.

Possibly, the most popular symbol of Yemen seen on posters and in magazines, is the palace of Imâm Yahyâ built on a huge bolder overlooking the ancient village of Wâdî Dhahar.