Yemen towers in danger of collapse
Ancient skyscrapers at risk as state funds for preserving them runs dry.
Published On 28 Feb 2010
Yemen is home to some of the world’s oldest skyscrapers – contiguous mud-brick tower buildings rising five to nine stories high.
Locals in the city of Shibam in Hadramaut say some of the buildings have stood for seven centuries, as a former symbol of political and economic prestige.
But the buildings are located on a floodplain, which risks being washed away by torrential rains.
As Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra reports, residents fear preserving the city could prove difficult.