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Old Walled City of Shibam 1
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Old Walled City of Shibam 5
© UNESCO World Heritage Centre
UNESCO WHCCulturalInscribed 1982

Old Walled City of Shibam

This site is inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Overview

Surrounded by a fortified wall, the 16th-century city of Shibam is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. Its impressive tower-like structures rise out of the cliff and have given the city the nickname of ‘the Manhattan of the desert’.

About Old Walled City of Shibam

Shibam, officially the Old Walled City of Shibam, is a town in Wadi Hadhramaut in eastern Yemen with about 7,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Shibam District in the Hadhramaut Governorate. It is known for its mudbrick-made high-rise buildings, with some of the buildings reaching as high as 11 stories. The design centred around protecting the residents of the city from Bedouin attacks.

Read more on Wikipedia

Selection Criteria

(iii)(iv)(v)

Components(1 location)

Details

Countries
Yemen
ISO Codes
YE
Coordinates
15.9269, 48.6267
View on UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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Old Walled City of Shibam

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Old Walled City of Shibam

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Old Walled City of Shibam