Shibam

Shibam is a town of about 7,000 inhabitants in the Wadi Hadhramaut of eastern Yemen, seat of Shibam District in Hadhramaut Governorate. Founded around the 3rd century, it became capital of the Kingdom of Hadhramaut in 300 AD, and its position on ancient trade routes brought it prosperity across an estimated 1,700 years of continuous habitation. The town is known for mudbrick high rise buildings, some reaching eleven stories, built in a defensive design meant to protect residents from Bedouin attacks, and it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 for its unique architecture and cultural significance. It is sometimes informally called the Manhattan of the Desert or the Chicago of the Desert.