---
type: Place
title: Shibam
description: The Manhattan of the Middle East — mud tower blocks from the 16th century that Harry calls the first skyscrapers in the world, standing almost empty.
tags: [shibam, yemen, hadhramaut, unesco, architecture, history]
coordinates: {lat: 15.9267, lng: 48.6262}
timestamp: 2026-08-05T12:00:00Z
---

# Shibam

A UNESCO World Heritage site in the Hadhramaut, in southern
[Yemen](/countries/yemen.md), and the first stop on Harry's road trip out of
[Seiyun](/places/seiyun.md). He calls it one of the most unique places he has
ever been.

## The buildings

Known as **the Manhattan of the Middle East** for the obvious reason: a dense
block of tower houses rising straight out of the desert floor. Harry's framing —
which is the local one — is that these are **the first skyscrapers in the
world**, dating back **500 years, to the 16th century**.

They are built of mud, and the engineering is the part he keeps pointing at.
Rain is rare, but the whole town is set on a slant with a drainage system cut
into it, so when it does come, the water runs off and Shibam does not flood.

## What it's actually like

Quiet — much quieter than the reputation suggests. The busiest corner Harry finds
is a competitive game of dominoes, and he says that this is the liveliest part of
the town.

He is shown **the Yemeni way of sitting**, a squat he cannot work out until it's
demonstrated, and which he then declares one of the best inventions he has ever
encountered and says he could hold for hours.

## What people say about life here

Asked what the biggest challenge is, the answer is immediate and it isn't the
war: **the cost of living**.

- Prices are rising and people complain about them constantly.
- **The currency is not stable.** For anything substantial — a car is the example
  he's given — you don't buy in Yemen, you buy in Saudi riyals.

## The absence of women

Walking Shibam, Harry notices there are no women on the streets at all, which is
what sends him looking for some to talk to. He finds a group of married women and
speaks to them through his guide; the exchange is friendly and mostly teasing —
they offer to find him a Yemeni wife — and the substance of their answers is not
carried in the video.

## Harry's tips

- **Come for the architecture and stay a while.** It is quiet, and that's the
  point rather than a disappointment.
- **Learn the Yemeni sit.** His own recommendation, delivered seriously.

## Source

- [I Ignored Western Media and Went to Yemen 🇾🇪](/videos/RxN5BcLetqA.md) —
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxN5BcLetqA