| It might seem
strange to dedicate an entire page to the toilets of Shibam; on the
other hand they kind of epitomise the wonderful vernacular
architecture, its functionality and integration with nature as well
as its aesthetic subtlety. Alongside the ugly modern soil
stacks, draining away to sewage treatment (or maybe just a stinking
hole in the ground), you can see the traditional long-drops, where
sewage is unceremoniously dumped down long chutes against the walls
to land on lipped platforms where the liquid drains off and
evaporates, whilst the solid waste dries out in the searing heat of
the desert sun, eventually becoming innocuous fertiliser.
That together with the canyon-like streets and
the massive mud-brick walls with their phenomenal thermal inertia
(the ultimate passive solar heating!) demonstrates how easily man
can adapt to his environment with a little thought...and several
centuries practice. Sadly, just as we in the West are
rediscovering the benefits of harmony rather than conflict with
nature, you can see cheap and nasty window-rattler air-conditioning
units popping up all over the place, defacing the walls and
squandering their limited and very costly electricity...because they
can! |
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