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A long way from anywhere
and would have been a two day drive from Sana'a. Due to the "security
situation" (aka lazy officials), we were forced to fly over the desert to
Say'un, but at least that gave us an extra day to see more of the Wadi and
its mind-boggling assortment of historical towns. All around is
desolate, barren desert, then down in the Wadi are hundreds of settlements
developed over thousands of years and consequently stuffed full of amazing
vernacular architecture. By the way, if your idea of a wadi is a sad,
dried-up watercourse, then look at the pictures; a mile wide ravine several
hundred metres deep with lush settlements tucked up against the foot of the
cliffs.
Shibam, the "Manhattan of the Desert" lives up to expectations, but so do
many of the other towns along the way. Even the provincial capital,
Say'un, manages not to disappoint and offers an unlikely, but quite
impressive photography museum! On the downside is the need to be accompanied
by a guide, a driver and an armed policeman, so the car is a little cramped.
However, despite this, the abysmal food and total absence of booze, this
place is definitely worth a second visit! |
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