The architecture The tall mud towers were built for protection. Shibam used to be surrounded by tribes and caravan routes, so height made it easier to stay safe. The city was designed vertically, with narrow corridors, high walls, and homes stacked on top of one another so families could live close and defend the city together. How it was built The buildings are made from nothing but mud, straw, and timber. Each year, families re-plaster their homes with mud to protect them from rain and erosion

Rising from the desert of Yemen, Shibam is one of the world’s earliest vertical cities. Built in the 17th century from sun-dried earth, its 30, 40 meter towers stand without concrete or steel, relying on thick mud-brick walls, palm-wood floors, and a compact defensive urban plan. Often called the “Manhattan of the Desert,” Shibam proves that sustainable, climate-responsive architecture existed centuries before modern skyscrapers. #Architecture #EarthArchitecture #Shibam #VernacularArchitecture #