The Expanded Narrative
Shibam Kawkaban is not merely a fortress but a defensive architectural masterpiece built atop a mountain 2,450 metres above sea level.
Fortress of the sky
Shibam Kawkaban is not merely a fortress but a defensive architectural masterpiece built atop a mountain 2,450 metres above sea level. Its origins date to the tenth century CE, when the inhabitants chose this impregnable site to protect themselves from invaders. It was the most important fortress defending the western regions of Sanaa throughout history.
Architectural specifications
- Elevation: 2,450 metres above sea level
- Area of the fortress: 45,000 square metres
- Wall thickness: 2.5 – 3 metres
- Wall height: 10 – 12 metres
- Number of defensive towers: 28
Historical importance
- An impregnable fortress withstanding 14 invasion attempts
- An important administrative and political centre in the Ayyubid era
- Residence of princes and leaders in the Rasulid age
- A symbol of endurance and resistance in Yemeni folk heritage
- A unique model of defensive architecture in Yemen
On a mountaintop 2,450 metres highWithstood 14 invasion attempts28 defensive towersAn area of 45,000 square metres
