Kawkaban

Introducing Kawkaban

Perched dramatically on the top of Jebel Kawkaban and lording it over Shibam, some 350 vertical metres below, is the remarkable village and fortified citadel of Kawkaban. During the 15th century, it served as a capital to the Bani Sharaf Al-Deen dynasty and was once renowned for its school of music. In times of conflict the citizens of Shibam would scurry up here to join their brothers and, thanks to some huge grain silos and water cisterns (which can still be seen today), everyone was able to continue going about their life largely unperturbed by any siege. In fact it wasn’t until the civil war of the 1960s and the coming of air power that Kawkaban was finally conquered.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009