Eli Whitney Museum

Rising from the wadi Hadramount—a riverbed in eastern Yemen that is dry most of the year and flows during the rainy season—is the ancient city of Shibam. Located in a sparsely populated region of Yemen, Shibam is regarded as “The oldest skyscraper city in the world” and the “Chicago of the desert.” Being constantly inhabited for over 2,000 years the buildings of Shibam predate the steel-framed structures of the West by a considerable amount of time. Join us as we examine the history, architecture, and culture of this unique city and the country of Yemen. How did the people of this city defy gravity with their buildings and why did they do it?