Yemen: The Dubai of Ancient Times

Julian Worker February 09, 2008

Dam and Skyscraper Construction in the Past Was ahead of its Time

Yemen – A brief history

North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire at the end of WWI and became a republic in 1962. In 1967 the British withdrew from the Aden area, which they had occupied since 1839, and this area then became known as South Yemen. On May 22, 1990, North and South Yemen were formally united as the Republic of Yemen.

Yemen – A poor nation

Since re-unification, Yemen is one of the few Arab countries where there are free and open Parliament elections. But, with a GDP Per capita of $517, Yemen is by far the poorest country in the Middle East and its level of development iscomparable toAfrican sub-Saharan countries.

Shibam - The Manhattan of the desert

However, Yemen is rich in national treasures. These include the mud-brick "skyscrapers" of historic Shibam in the Hadramaut region. Surrounded by a fortified wall, this 16th-century city is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction, hence the nickname 'the Manhattan of the desert'. Shibam was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.

Sana’a – The old city on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Sana’a is the capital of Yemen, situated in a mountain valley at an altitude of 2,200 metres, and has a well preserved old city that has been on the UNESCO list since 1986. The city has 103 mosques, 14 hammams and over 6,000 houses, all built before the 11th century AD. These multi-storied tower-houses, built of rammed earth (pisé) and delicately decorated, are home to approximately 50,000 people.

Founded by a son of Noah

Sana’a has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years and according to legend it was founded by Shem, one of the three sons of Noah. During the second century AD it was the main highland garrison town of the Sabean Kingdom. Sana’a was then twice conquered by the Persians and was even ruled for fifty years by the Abyssinians.

The Prophet Mohammed planned the mosque

During this time a great cathedral was built with the help of two architects sent by the Byzantine emperor Justinian. The cathedral is the largest Christian building south of the Mediterranean and Sana’a became the centre of Christian pilgrimage in Arabia. In 628 AD Yemen embraced Islam and according to historians, the Prophet Mohammed himself gave strict instructions for the exact positioning of the main mosque and for the open prayer space outside the city.

Zabid’s famous madrassah

Zabid's domestic and military architecture and its urban plan make it an outstanding archaeological and historical site, which is why it was placed on the UNESCO list in 1993. Besides being the capital of Yemen from the 13th to the 15th century, the city played an important role in the Arab and Muslim world for many centuries because of its Islamic university.

Marib’s Dam – Irrigating Sheba’s land

One place that perhaps should be on the UNESCO list is the old dam near Marib in an area that is linked by some people with the Queen of Sheba. The Dam, the most famous of all ancient Yemeni ruins, is around 8km to the south-west of Marib. It was a huge structure 35m high, 720m long and 60m wide at the foundations, which were built of huge pieces of stone covered with rough volcanic rock. At the tip of the dam two gaps were left open through which water flowed into the irrigation system and canals, which it is believed cultivated more than 70 sq. km of arable land in the Marib Valley. The construction of the dam, according to inscriptions, dates back to the 8th century BC.