Shibam is an ancient city in the Hadramaut region of Yemen. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and often referred to as "the Manhattan of the Desert". This amazing display of vernacular architecture is almost exclusively built of mud bricks. Each tower ranges from 5 to 11 floors and some are as high as 100 feet.
In October of last year (2008), a devastating storm hit the Yemeni coast distroying many of the these towers as well as dwellings in surrounding villages. As a result, many inhabitants were buried.
I only hope that the loses in this region were minimal enough that the communities can rebuild, both within themselves dealing the lose of family and friends and in the physical realm of their homes and cities.
(Information and photos from Boston.com and Wikipedia.com)
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