In the heart of Yemen's Wadi hadramaut, a cluster of ancient Mud Skyscrapers soars above the desert floor. Yemen's old walled City of Shibam is the oldest metropolis in the world to use vertical construction. It was once a significant caravan stop on the spice and incense route across the southern arabian plateau.

The mud bricks high rises, which stretch up to seven stories high, were constructed from the fertile soil surrounding the city. The structure are constantly threatened by wind, rain, and heat erosion, and require constant upkeep.

In 2015, Shibam was added to the list of World Heritage in Danger when violent civil war erupted in Yemen.