Comments on: Skyscrapers in the Desert http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/ Exploring urban life through word and photography Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:17:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Alice Maung-Mercurio http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-182554 Alice Maung-Mercurio Thu, 31 Jul 2008 05:20:36 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-182554 There is a great sketch of Shibam's "Urban Ecosystem" in the article by Pietro Laureano, who did work for the United Nations Conv. to Combat Desertification: Proper Uses of natural resources, Environmental architecture and hydraulic technologies for self - sustainable and resource-sparing projects, in Human Evolution, Vol. 13 - N. 1 (29-44), 1998. The sketch shows all the fields and trees outside the city walls that, in historical tradition, were managed so well that those relatively small plots of land grew enough food to feed both human and animal residents. That's the magic of this town - Read other stuff by Pietro Laureano - Inspiring!! There is a great sketch of Shibam’s “Urban Ecosystem” in the article by Pietro Laureano, who did work for the United Nations Conv. to Combat Desertification: Proper Uses of natural resources, Environmental architecture and hydraulic technologies for self – sustainable and resource-sparing projects, in Human Evolution, Vol. 13 – N. 1 (29-44), 1998.
The sketch shows all the fields and trees outside the city walls that, in historical tradition, were managed so well that those relatively small plots of land grew enough food to feed both human and animal residents. That’s the magic of this town – Read other stuff by Pietro Laureano – Inspiring!!

]]> By: Miguel Martinez http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-175232 Miguel Martinez Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:42:38 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-175232 Hi!I was so impress about this wonderful city of Yemen,I wish before I pass away I going over there. Muy bonita ciudad impresionante tengo curiosidad es una ciudad santa o religiosa como vive esa gente ahi. I just wondering if that city is something like holy city guau,beleive or not I saw that city on many dreams I just to had. ARRIBA"PERU". Hi!I was so impress about this wonderful city of Yemen,I wish before I pass away I going over there.
Muy bonita ciudad impresionante tengo curiosidad es una ciudad santa o religiosa como vive esa gente ahi.

I just wondering if that city is something like holy city guau,beleive or not I saw that city on many dreams I just to had.

ARRIBA”PERU”.

]]> By: Michelle Langlie http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-117965 Michelle Langlie Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:31:15 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-117965 Great to see these pictures, they bring back lovely memories! I lived in Shibam for a month Dec 2006-Jan 2007 with a small group of students from Columbia University. We were documenting the mud brick palaces in Tarim, and spent much time with various Yemeni officials and foreigners involved with preservation, tourism, economic development. Unforgettable trip. Great to see these pictures, they bring back lovely memories! I lived in Shibam for a month Dec 2006-Jan 2007 with a small group of students from Columbia University. We were documenting the mud brick palaces in Tarim, and spent much time with various Yemeni officials and foreigners involved with preservation, tourism, economic development. Unforgettable trip.

]]> By: monika biallass http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-92516 monika biallass Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:23:46 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-92516 Hello, I saw your pics in fotocommunity. They are very nice, I like them. Take care. Hello, I saw your pics in fotocommunity.
They are very nice, I like them.
Take care.

]]> By: CHESSNOID http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-85388 CHESSNOID Sun, 02 Sep 2007 05:42:32 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-85388 These are great pictures of an amazing city. I can't beleive they are that old and that high. Very good pictures. These are great pictures of an amazing city. I can’t beleive they are that old and that high. Very good pictures.

]]> By: Web Urbanist » Manhattan of the Desert: The Oldest Surviving Skyscrapers in the World http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-85103 Web Urbanist » Manhattan of the Desert: The Oldest Surviving Skyscrapers in the World Sat, 01 Sep 2007 08:21:56 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-85103 [...] Shibam, Yemen has been continuously occupied for over two millennia. This remote desert city boasts buildings of mud brick that reach up to fourteen stories in height, many dating back hundreds of years (and parts of which date back thousands). [...] [...] Shibam, Yemen has been continuously occupied for over two millennia. This remote desert city boasts buildings of mud brick that reach up to fourteen stories in height, many dating back hundreds of years (and parts of which date back thousands). [...]

]]> By: Najeeb Musallam http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-47003 Najeeb Musallam Wed, 09 May 2007 08:18:36 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-47003 Dear Patrick, I am pleased to send you the link of shibamonline http://www.shibamonline.net by the way, the site belongs to very nice Canadian gentleman, he is originally from Shibam (Shibami-Canadian), the site is giving good information about Shibam's history, culture, and mud construction. Best regards Dear Patrick,

I am pleased to send you the link of shibamonline

http://www.shibamonline.net

by the way, the site belongs to very nice Canadian gentleman, he is originally from Shibam (Shibami-Canadian), the site is giving good information about Shibam’s history, culture, and mud construction.

Best regards

]]> By: Patrick Donovan http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-3778 Patrick Donovan Tue, 13 Feb 2007 02:19:42 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-3778 Hi Najeeb, Thanks for the comments. I based myself on this article, written in 1983, for much of the info. http://www.chris-kutschera.com/A/Shibam.htm On the whole it paints a different portrait of life in South Yemen in the 1960s and 1970s. It claims that a tenth of Shibam was in a bad state, with poor drainage that was eating away at the mud walls. $100 million in UNESCO money was needed, with $9 million going to "laying new sewage and fresh water systems, storm drains, electricity and telephone cables." In 1983 I was 8-years-old, in Quebec City, and had never heard of Yemen, so I can't verify any of this first-hand. :) Hi Najeeb,

Thanks for the comments.

I based myself on this article, written in 1983, for much of the info.

http://www.chris-kutschera.com/A/Shibam.htm

On the whole it paints a different portrait of life in South Yemen in the 1960s and 1970s.

It claims that a tenth of Shibam was in a bad state, with poor drainage that was eating away at the mud walls. $100 million in UNESCO money was needed, with $9 million going to “laying new sewage and fresh water systems, storm drains, electricity and telephone cables.”

In 1983 I was 8-years-old, in Quebec City, and had never heard of Yemen, so I can’t verify any of this first-hand. :)

]]> By: Najeeb Musallam http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-2859 Najeeb Musallam Sun, 04 Feb 2007 20:48:47 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-2859 Thanks for the issue and nice photos. I am originally from Shibam-Hadhramaut spent all my childhood in that great old town, I would have to say or to correct that shibam knew the electric power service in 1962 and fresh water supply in 1961 such two projects done by a private shareholder co-operative company established in Shibam that time, UNESCO just declared Shibam as a world Heritage may be only in 1986-87. FYI Shibam knew such services before many major cities and town either in South or North Yemen. That time, before Hadhramaut became part of South Yemen and later on part of united Yemen, Shibam people were well educated and they have good connections and strong links with ouside world due the immigration of the Hadhrami people to many other countries like Easr Indies, India and East Africa, and later on to Saudi Arabia and Gulf States. also sewage and drain system Shibam was using its own old system until it replqaced with a modern sewage system that was in 1973. Najeeb Musallam Dubai-UAE Thanks for the issue and nice photos.
I am originally from Shibam-Hadhramaut spent all my childhood in that great old town, I would have to say or to correct that shibam knew the electric power service in 1962 and fresh water supply in 1961 such two projects done by a private shareholder co-operative company established in Shibam that time, UNESCO just declared Shibam as a world Heritage may be only in 1986-87. FYI Shibam knew such services before many major cities and town either in South or North Yemen. That time, before Hadhramaut became part of South Yemen and later on part of united Yemen, Shibam people were well educated and they have good connections and strong links with ouside world due the immigration of the Hadhrami people to many other countries like Easr Indies, India and East Africa, and later on to Saudi Arabia and Gulf States.
also sewage and drain system Shibam was using its own old system until it replqaced with a modern sewage system that was in 1973.
Najeeb Musallam
Dubai-UAE

]]> By: Patrick Donovan http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-1901 Patrick Donovan Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:50:14 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-1901 Good question. I'm guessing UNESCO money and tourism accounts for some local jobs. Farming in the surrounding fields probably accounts for a few more. The town of Seiyun, with a population of 30,000, is about 20 km away--apparently, there is some oil extraction going on around there. This part of Yemen is also known for producing some of the best honey in the world, with little jars going for as much as $70. Nevertheless, unemployment hovers around 35% and per capita income is about $450 per year, so many people probably aren't working much. Good question. I’m guessing UNESCO money and tourism accounts for some local jobs. Farming in the surrounding fields probably accounts for a few more. The town of Seiyun, with a population of 30,000, is about 20 km away–apparently, there is some oil extraction going on around there. This part of Yemen is also known for producing some of the best honey in the world, with little jars going for as much as $70. Nevertheless, unemployment hovers around 35% and per capita income is about $450 per year, so many people probably aren’t working much.

]]> By: Olga Schlyter http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/comment-page-1/#comment-1853 Olga Schlyter Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:42:47 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/01/22/skyscrapers-in-the-desert/#comment-1853 Wow, that is an amazing place. How do people who live there make a living? Is it close to some bigger city, or can all the inhabitants make their living inside of the walls? Wow, that is an amazing place. How do people who live there make a living? Is it close to some bigger city, or can all the inhabitants make their living inside of the walls?

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