Publications
Between Faith and Context: Islamic Urbanism as Spatial Negotiation in the Morphology of Malabar’s Port Towns
Islamic urbanism does not prescribe fixed forms but instead emerges through contextual negotiation, shaped by environmental constraints, trade networks, and local traditions. A comparative study of Shibam (Yemen) and Kuttichira (India) reveals that while certain spatial characteristics align with Islamic ethical principles, their manifestation varies significantly due to cultural, ecological, and socio-political dynamics. The research demonstrates that urban morphology in these port towns arises from a processual interplay of forces, rather than religious doctrine alone. This challenges deterministic views of Islamic urbanism, instead framing it as an interpretive framework that produces hybrid, layered environments—particularly evident in Malabar, where matrilineal systems and vernacular practices intersect with Islamic influences. The study advances the concept of 'contextual Islamic urbanism' to analyze urban form as a relational outcome.
Yemen — Vertical Earth: Shibam and the Typology of the Mudbrick High-Rise
Shibam's mudbrick skyline offers a sustainable model for climate-smart urbanism, demonstrating how traditional techniques can achieve high-rise resilience without modern mechanical systems. The study reveals that contiguous party-wall buttressing, combined with thermal mass and collective maintenance, provides comfort and structural stability in arid regions. It translates centuries of craft plaster renewal, timber diaphragms, and drainage into practical guidance for architects and conservators, addressing challenges like flood risk and salt weathering. By reframing maintenance as infrastructure and community employment, Shibam emerges as a blueprint for building higher with earthen materials, reducing energy costs, and fostering long-lasting urban communities worldwide.
A Holistic Approach to Vernacular Heritage Conservation
Conservation of vernacular heritage, such as the Old Walled City of Shibam, requires a holistic approach that integrates tangible and intangible elements, including community values, beliefs, and development needs. This study highlights that understanding built heritage must extend beyond physical attributes to include cultural landscapes, historic urban contexts, and people-centered perspectives. By examining examples from Muslim-majority communities in Siwa (Egypt) and Shibam (Yemen), as well as transhumance settlements like Hawraman (Iran) and Khinalig (Azerbaijan), the research underscores the importance of bridging gaps between cultural and natural heritage, movable and immovable heritage, and tangible and intangible heritage. The findings recommend adopting frameworks such as cultural landscapes, historic urban landscapes, and people-centered conservation to guide future heritage preservation efforts.
An Assessment of Shibam Historical City's Urban Identity
Shibam's historical cityscape, renowned for its ancient multi-story mud-brick skyscrapers, stands as a model of cultural memory and sustainable urban identity. Research reveals that preserving Shibam’s original structure while integrating traditional construction with modern techniques can enhance resilience without compromising authenticity. This approach offers a blueprint for historic cities to balance heritage conservation with contemporary sustainability needs. The study analyzed Shibam's architectural and social elements through literature review, emphasizing its unique role as both a cultural symbol and a practical example of sustainable urban development.
Cooler Desert Cities - 2503
A comparative analysis of Shibam, a historic Yemeni city, and modern desert urban designs in Masdar (UAE) and Dubai reveals key design principles that enhance thermal comfort with minimal energy use. The study leverages computational modeling to identify 'cooler-shaping' strategies—such as narrow alleys, high-density construction, and wind-capturing architecture—that mitigate heat stress in arid climates. These findings lay the groundwork for a future toolkit (Cooler-Shaper Tool) aimed at replicating such low-emission urban comfort in contemporary desert cities. The research builds on prior work by integrating Shibam’s unique medieval layout with modern sustainable design approaches, offering actionable insights for UNESCO-listed sites and climate-resilient urban planning.
Integrating disaster risk reduction into cultural heritage management: case studies from the Islamic world
A comparative analysis of disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies reveals significant gaps between global frameworks and local implementation, particularly in conflict-affected or resource-limited Islamic heritage sites. While international efforts are critical for post-crisis recovery, long-term resilience hinges on local capacities, traditional knowledge, and community-based preventive measures. The study highlights successful cases where integrated planning and engagement with local communities have enhanced heritage protection, offering practical insights for policymakers, heritage professionals, and DRR planners.
Predicting Landslide Susceptibility based on Naïve Bayes and Information Value Models in Shibam and AL-Taweelah District, Yemen
A study assessing landslide susceptibility in Shibam and Al-Taweelah districts, Yemen, reveals that the northern and northeastern regions are particularly vulnerable. Using machine learning (Naïve Bayes) and statistical models (Information Value), researchers analyzed 98 landslide events, achieving higher predictive accuracy with Naïve Bayes (AUC = 0.785) compared to Information Value (AUC = 0.674). This research provides critical insights for risk mitigation, construction planning, and disaster prevention in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Walled City of Shibam.
Rooting the heritage identity in the interior design of homes in the city of Shibam, Hadhramaut - Yemen
A study on the Old Walled City of Shibam, Hadhramaut, Yemen, reveals a robust design system for interior spaces that can preserve the city's heritage identity. The research analyzes vocabulary and elements of traditional Shibami dwellings, which are at risk due to structural issues like cracks and collapses in mud buildings. By documenting these features, the study provides a framework to revitalize and sustain the cultural significance of Shibam, recognized by UNESCO as an endangered World Heritage Site since 2015. The approach combines analytical methods with a focus on heritage preservation, offering insights that could guide conservation efforts while maintaining the city's historical and human heritage value.
Islamic Domes
Islamic domes, pervasive markers of Muslim urban landscapes from the seventh to the seventeenth century and beyond, served as distinctive landmarks in densely packed, low-rise cities across the Islamic world. This study explores their ubiquity by addressing key questions: their purpose, origins, and construction processes. Domes not only proclaimed the special status of buildings but also posed technical challenges related to materials, techniques, and decoration. The research examines their evolution from traditional forms in cities like Shibam to more inventive designs in modern times, highlighting their cultural significance despite diminished visibility in contemporary high-rise settings.
Uncertainty Reduction in Flood Susceptibility Mapping Using Random Forest and eXtreme Gradient Boosting Algorithms in Two Tropical Desert Cities, Shibam and Marib, Yemen
Approximately 9.93% to 15.69% of Shibam City and 8.42% to 9.89% of Marib City are highly vulnerable to floods, according to a study that reduced uncertainty in flood susceptibility mapping using advanced machine learning algorithms. The research employed random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) methods, incorporating a variable drop-off loop function to address model uncertainty and overfitting issues. By analyzing historical flooding data alongside twelve topographic and geo-environmental factors, the study demonstrated that the drop-off loop function significantly improved accuracy and processing efficiency in flood prediction models. These findings contribute valuable strategies for mitigating natural disaster risks, particularly in tropical desert regions like Yemen.
Using Three- Dimensional Modeling Techniques in Digital Preservation of Urban Plans for the Old Walled City of Shibam Hadramawt
A digital preservation platform for Shibam's historic urban landscape, leveraging 3D modeling and metadata, offers a transformative approach to safeguarding cultural heritage. This method circumvents traditional preservation challenges posed by political and economic instability, enabling efficient documentation of urban elements. The study employed a descriptive inductive approach to analyze theoretical frameworks while developing the platform using practical 3D modeling techniques. By associating metadata with each graphic object, this innovation provides a scalable solution for digital archiving, preserving Shibam's unique architectural and topographic identity for future generations.
People and Heritage in Yemen: Where to?
Yemen's conflict has devastated its historic cities, with over 233,000 fatalities and a 50% economic contraction between 2015–2019. This study reveals the profound urban challenges faced by Yemenis, including extreme poverty, unemployment, and severe infrastructure damage, while also assessing the impact on heritage sites like Shibam. The research combines personal observations, interviews with heritage specialists from GOPHCY, and visits to Sana'a and other historic cities to explore how conflict has reshaped attitudes toward heritage and its current status. Findings highlight the urgent need for integrated recovery strategies that address both human trauma and cultural preservation.
Smart cities, metaverses, and the relevance of place
Ancient urban design wisdom offers sustainable lessons for modern smart cities. The 16th-century walled city of Shibam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Yemen, demonstrates sophisticated passive environmental strategies—using locally sourced mud and dense street layouts—to achieve thermal comfort in extreme heat without energy-intensive cooling. Unlike contemporary cities like Riyadh, which rely on high-energy steel-and-glass structures, Shibam’s design embeds deep local knowledge, reducing carbon footprints by 70% or more compared to modern alternatives. The study argues that smart city innovations must integrate such context-aware approaches rather than discard traditional designs, emphasizing that technological advancement without place-based understanding risks inefficiency and unsustainability.
Il caso della città di Shibam nello Yemen del Sud. Conoscenza e monitoraggio avanzato del patrimonio culturale
Advanced digital modeling techniques applied to Shibam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southern Yemen, reveal the city's unique morphological structure as a pioneering example of sustainable urban architecture. The study demonstrates how these methods can uncover the essence and historical significance of cultural heritage, supporting efforts to protect and preserve it under Objective 11.4 of the UN's Agenda 2030. By integrating archaeological and architectural survey tools, researchers aim to restore Shibam's identity, addressing challenges in documenting fortified cities in high-risk areas.
Rehabilitation of historic Shibam and Zabid, Yemen as an impulse for community and economy
Historic urban rehabilitation in Yemen's World Heritage Sites, Shibam and Zabid, demonstrates potential for economic recovery and community engagement even amid extreme conditions. The study highlights that linking preservation efforts to local livelihood interests—such as market quarters and housing rehabilitation—can yield tangible benefits, including visible upgrades to historic structures and increased local support. Despite challenges like poverty, weak institutional capacity, and conflict-related destruction, these strategies show promise in reviving urban heritage while addressing socioeconomic needs.
The Conservation of the Urban Architectural Heritage of Yemen
Yemen's architectural heritage, particularly the UNESCO-listed Old Walled City of Shibam, has gained global recognition for its millennia-old tradition of high-quality design and construction. This study highlights the unique urban culture in Yemen, where streets serve as multifunctional spaces for living, working, and social interaction, contributing to the preservation of architectural heritage. The research emphasizes the need for international conservation efforts, following appeals by Yemeni governments and UNESCO, to protect these significant cultural sites from degradation.
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