Many calls but little action to stop cultural destruction in Yemen

Mohammed Yahya Gahlan

Feb 15, 2019

An aerial view of historical city of Shibam in southeastern Yemen March 18, 2009. Shibam, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is dubbed the "Manhattan of the desert" for its 16th-century tower houses. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah (YEMEN TRAVEL CITYSCAPE) - GM1E53J0CGJ01 — An aerial view of historical city of Shibam, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is dubbed the "Manhattan of the desert" for its 16th-century tower houses, Yemen, March 18, 2009. — REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

عربي

SANAA, Yemen — The messy civil war that has raged in Yemen for nearly four years has left its mark on the country's political, economic and cultural life. The country’s cultural and historical heritage has been ravaged despite repetitive calls by UNESCO to all fighting sides to do their utmost to protect Yemen's unique heritage.

Yemen is one of the richest countries in the region when it comes to natural, cultural, historical and architectural heritage. It has four sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Socotra Archipelago, the old city of Sanaa, the old walled city of Shibam in Hadramaut governorate and the historic town of Zabid.