How to blind skyscraper

Just a hundred years ago, the Europeans knew about Yemen about the same as much as the Northern Pole. But the indigenous people always remembered that in ancient times, these edges were called happy Arabia, what exactly the prophet Mohammed is coming from here, which means that there is no place for the sacred land. In addition, every child knows that treasures are hidden under the local sands that are entrusted to Ginnam. Therefore, any algered here was perceived exclusively as a thief who arrived with the one-sole purpose – to kidnap these treasures.

So the first European travelers who were still able to get into South Arabia and saw in the XIX century the city of Shibam, they did not believe in their homeland. Hundreds of houses in eight floors and above? Yes so even in paris do not build! Yes, from clay? Ha ha. But now, when an amazing silhouette "Arabian Manhatthen" Arms before his eyes, it is easy to believe that scientists talk about the magnificence of ancient Babylon, who was also built of raw bricks.

Construction technology "Skyscrapers" Shibama has practically not changed from Babylonian times. In the clay mixed chopped straw, all this is poured into the form. The resulting bricks two weeks dried in the sun, then at a low stone foundation of a brigade of 5-6 people begins to build a wall. After every few rows, construction stopped for a week so that the laying is finally dried. As the walls grow, their thickness is reduced – they are at the top five times thinner than below. Inside the floor connects the clay staircase, and there are windows only in the upper tiers: once the house-skyscraper served as a fortress in which residents could hide from the raids of Bedouin Robbers.

The most beautiful room with better ventilation is assigned to Majlis – guest room. Instead of furniture mats and carpets on the floor and niche in the walls, closed with carved wooden doors. However, here are all wooden items, ranging from the entrance door, covered with a whimsical pattern. On each floor there is a toilet, from where the flow has been withdrawn to the street, because of what the houses look like fortifications, degraded to the trunks of the guns.

Every three months, the owner has to inspect the house, smear cracks and replace the collapsed bricks. As a result, a good host house can stand a century. True, it should be noted that the rain is sometimes no time for several years.

Unfortunately new "Skyscrapers" no longer build, and some of the olds abandoned and destroyed; Multiple buildings are supported in a decent basis specifically for tourists. You can knock on any door, and the owners most likely will kindly show you your home and at the same time will not pester with the requests of Bucksis, as in some other countries of the Middle East. Although, of course, and hope for your gratitude.

You do not have to pay here and for the fact that you thought to take a picture of the local resident, although tourists recently comes here a lot. In the narrow streets in the shade of clay skyscrapers there are fought "Antiques": entrance doors, window frames and niche cabinet doors from the dilapidated houses. Here you can also buy and unique medieval door locks, and exotic interior items: woven out of the leaves of palm trees or pools for work under the sun. But when I saw empty sheaths for traditional Dagger-Jombia from a local resident at the belt, do not embar it that the poor fellow, apparently, was forced to sell this symbol of honor: just the president of the country recently banned weapons in the urban trait. So one exotic spectacle you already missed: you will not be able to see on every corner of armed "Kalashnikov" Men and even children. But there are road signs: the same machine, crossed by a red feature.

… in the evening of tourists lead to the hill, towering over the city, – admire the sunset. Shibaman children help elderly people overcome this path. Sunset over shibamom – a cult event, so do not be surprised, if you see the neighborhood of television drivers from various countries. And here they are in front of you as on the palm – Skyscrapers of Shibama with white lime tops, sometime such terrible and majestic, and now touching-defenseless. Torch to see them until they disappeared from the face of the earth.