Yemen home to world’s first skyscrapers

SANAA - Anatolia News Agency

Sanaa’s buildings are feautred in UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list. AA photo

The world’s oldest skyscrapers, part of world cultural heritage, continue to dazzle visitors in Yemen.
The buildings, which continue to house people centuries after construction, were constructed by the Ad tribe, who were known for their high-rise buildings from holy books.

Historical records indicate that the first skyscrapers were built by the Hadramites who lived in northern Yemen and who wanted to defend themselves against attacks coming from the desert region. The skyscrapers made out of mud and adobe bricks continue to stand still after centuries.

One of the best examples of the world’s first skyscrapers, built around 2,500 years ago, can be seen in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. It is possible to see six-to-seven-story skyscrapers in Sanaa and 10-to-12-story edifices in the Hadramut and Shibam regions.