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Yemen’s Skyscrapers of Mud

The city of Shibam in Yemen has been described as ‘the Manhattan of the desert’. Built primarily from mud, the highest house in the city of Shibam is eight-storeys high and the average is five. While repairs are required annually, some of the multi-storey houses have been continuously occupied for over four centuries now. The impressive structures for the most part date from the 16th century, following a devastating flood of which Shibam was the victim in 1532-33. However, some older houses and large buildings still remain from the first centuries of Islam, such as the Friday Mosque, built in 904, and the castle, built in 1220.

Source: UNESCO