Yemen: "The Manhattan of the desert" Photo

Photographer’s Note

"Copyright © – Attila Szili.
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained herein for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."

The city of Shibam was built during the 16th century. It is surrounded by a fortified wall and is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. Its impressive tower-like structures rise out of the cliff and have given the city the nickname of "The Manhattan of the desert". The clay-formed houses rise high up the sky by thirty to forty meters lengths, while its floors vary between five to sixteen.

***scanned from paper***

axiotea, ramthakur, riclopes, andante, Cricri, maximage, leo61, sufi, ALIRIZA, papagolf21, berek, Giorgio, nbj, efigesta, ramesh_lalwani, turkamerikali, Rev, TeresaT, parbo, CRATEOS, tjanze, P-S-I-G, josepmarin, arturo, elmec, rushandy, paura, Emiel_Skyfreak, adores, meyerd, edytungkal, Jakab, jonathan_hart, Fiddlee has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

sabyasachi1212 (19546) 2006-05-12 3:55

Hi Szili,
Excellent POV. Beautifully composed.
Thanks for sharing.
Sabyasachi

AiresSantos (43270) 2006-05-12 3:59

Hi my friend,
Fantastic capture of this beautiful place in desert. I like the colors and the tones. Excellent POV. I also like the enquadrement and the frame.
TFS and have a nice weekend,
Aires

axiotea (16359) 2006-05-12 4:04

Hi Attila,
Again a well composed image...I like very much the yemenite architecture made of clay...good POV and the man in the corner adds interest to the photo...TFS...
Cheers,
Marilyn

jasmis (51313) 2006-05-12 4:08

Wow, extraordinary place and superb shot. Good POV and quality. Interesting note, too.

ramthakur (1501) 2006-05-12 4:26

Interesting pespective and caption, Szili.
The architectural style looks typical Middle East to me with clay-toned exteriors.
Good job!

Gerrit (36553) 2006-05-12 5:40

Hi Attila,
incredible place and verywell composed picture.
The diagonal view and the place of the woman passing by are very strong.
Thanks and regards, Gerrit

riclopes (33143) 2006-05-12 5:43

Hi Attila,
What a remarkable example of architecture that you present to us in here. Those façades are really impressive and make a wonderful setting. Good POV and composition from a distance. The black sillouette at left foreground is a good addition. Very well done!
TFS,
Ricardo

Buin (38600) 2006-05-12 6:50

Hallo Attila!
Great, really great. What an amazing architecture! Knowing the year of construction you only can admire this. The view of the cars is really stunning.
Thank you for showing it - and the good note!
Have a nice weekend!
Frank, from summerly Germany!

vinicio (22502) 2006-05-12 9:46

Great landscape Attila, even is scanned is a beautiful colorful image, nice landscape and very interesting place to visit, TFS.
Ciao
Vinicio

andante (7092) 2006-05-12 10:20

Sweet comparison! Sometimes being in Manhattan feels like that: old, cramp spaces, and not enough vertical space. What I find really adds lots of interest in this image is the person walking towards the city. It captures the attention right away. Another masterpiece, Szili.

Ciao,
Enrique

Cricri (44115) 2006-05-12 12:20

Hi Attila,
Interressante architecture de ses bâtiments,
jolies couleurs, bon POV, compliment
Amitiés
cricri

maximage (13720) 2006-05-12 12:58

Bonjour Attila,
Architerchture étonnante et pleine de mystères du désert. La vie par contre, doit être assez rude à l'intérieur de ces murs. Tout doit être que chaleur, soleil et poussière!
Amitiés.
max

leo61 (44112) 2006-05-12 13:40

Hi Attila!
Great urban landscape and interesting architecture.Good quality for a scanned one.I like the person walking on the left side.
Thanks and regards,LEO

gaby (19793) 2006-05-12 14:02

Attila bonsoir - amazing and very interesting shot - I like this funny architecture and congratulations for this superb compo -
Have a nice week end
Thanks
Gaby

markstaples (15670) 2006-05-12 15:07

An impressive shot, nice and sharp with great colours.
Best wishes
Mark

sufi (9568) 2006-05-12 15:22

Hi Attila...
Wonderful and ingenious title, perfect composition, my friend... Also perfect point of view and shot, as usual... Perfect pastel tones, the contrast between the yellow-cream tones and blue and the perspective... The DOF is wonderful too...
TFS...
Stay well..
salim.

ALIRIZA (16197) 2006-05-12 16:31

Hi Szili,
Great perpective, nice place in desert.Good POV and framing.TFS.
Have nice weekend.
Ali Rıza

Fis2 (46713) 2006-05-12 16:50

Witaj Attila!
Curious place. Good composition and frame. I like the colours and sharpness. Very impressive picture.
Regards
Krzysztof

izmirli (3347) 2006-05-12 18:31

merhaba dear attila
interesting yemen.interesting buildings.
lovely colours.well done.
best regards my friend.
gürkan akçakır.

parbo (11054) 2006-05-12 21:56

Hi Attila,

This is incredible. How it can be possible build an adobe house 5 to 16 stories? That's why TrekEarth is a great site. I never imagined a city or houses like this. Many, many thanks for sharing. Congratulations.

Best Regards,

Parbo

berek (29115) 2006-05-13 1:24

Hi Szili ,
I really like this picture. mystic please good colours and light my friend. TFS
B.Erek
Meaning Sense :-))
Framing :-))
Idea :-))

Giorgio (8832) 2006-05-13 2:13

- Fantastic urban landscape of another century, I have already seen pictures of this place and I am bluffed every time, colour and light reproduce well the arid ambience of the place, well done!
giorgio

Graal (59126) 2006-05-13 2:49

Jó napot Attila,
good title, a bit funny, yes, it's as
Manhattan at the desert. Unusual view, nice colours and good composition. Good quality of scan. You are really globetrotter. Well done photo.
Udvozlet, Aleksander

Angshu (34243) 2006-05-13 3:28

Excellent scene Attila...this is amazing place...clay highrises as good as Manhattan..fantastic stuff!
Regards
Angshu

papagolf21 (57015) 2006-05-13 4:35

Bonsoir mon ami Attila,
Bravo et merci de nous présenter ce merveilleux ensemble qui défie les lois de l'architecture ! Près de quarante mètres de hauteur, jusqu'à seize étages ! Impensable pour un lieu construit au 16ème siècle.
Une vraie merveille photographique.
Un grand merci renouvelé pour le partage.
Amitiés.
Philippe

nbj (1871) 2006-05-13 6:40

One of the places I never went to see in Yemen, and I always regret it when I see pictures from it. It looks so beautiful and special, so thank you for sharing it.

efigesta (12181) 2006-05-13 6:46

Hi Szili
yes i agree with your title, great pov and nice colors
regards
manuel

Paolo (40763) 2006-05-13 11:47

Ciao Attila...fantastica foto. questa leggendaria città in mezzo al deserto è realmente stupenda e l'hai ripresa con ottimi colori, luce e da un ottimo punto di scatto.
complimenti e buon w.e.

p.s.
non dico niente riguardo la Juve!!!!!
(sei juventino...oh non più?!)
:P

ciao

ramesh_lalwani (3209) 2006-05-13 11:48

Dear Szilli
very Interesting note and POV.Interesting inclusion of lady in burkha.TFS
Ramesh

jhm (83786) 2006-05-13 12:45

Hi Szili,
You placing today your 50th picture on TE, and always a excellent picture, I have much learnt during this period, you show us again a very good picture, certainly for a scanning image, very well done!
Greetings from Belgium,
John

turkamerikali (4772) 2006-05-13 13:14

Hi Attila,
Great and very interesting architectural composition my friend.
I like the building details you captured here.
Great pov,colors,focus,frame,note,sharpness and dof.TFS
Have a Great Weekend,
Tolga

Gustaw (21670) 2006-05-13 13:48

Hallo friend!
Good title! Very interesting view! Good conception.
Marek

Rev (1782) 2006-05-13 15:54

Hi Attila
A very good picture.
Beautiful colours and an excellent composition.
Well presented
Regards
Peter

TeresaT (10733) 2006-05-13 19:53

Hi Atilla,
excellent capture of this city with an excellent architectonic style.
I like the inclusion of the man in black on the left side of the image.
Perfect colours and POV.
Regards
Teresa

CRATEOS (7274) 2006-05-14 1:51

the paralelismous of your scenario is a great one!!!and the foto have everything!!is magic !!!!GNGRS Nikiforos

siolaw (25890) 2006-05-14 9:03

Hi Attila!
Yemen is one of photographers paradises on the planet!!Nice compo and a good view of that town.. wait to see some more Yemeni shots?
TFS
laurent

tjanze (5674) 2006-05-14 10:18

Hi Szili!
Very original title.Amazing sand color arhitecture.This must be fantastic to see in life.Thanks for sharing.

P-S-I-G (24482) 2006-05-14 10:43

Hello Attila,
The scan has a very good quality.
Good composition and spectacular view.
The person has a good place at the left.
Well done. Great shot.
Best regards,
Fabrice

josepmarin (34269) 2006-05-14 13:00

Hi Attila,
He is really impressive to think that these mud constructions have five centuries!
A very special Manhattan, without a doubt.
Perfect frame, good exposure and beautiful colors, as well as very good sharpness creates a great and pretty composition.
Excellent work, my friend.
Regards,
Josep

pitai (3925) 2006-05-14 20:41

Wow, I like this shot a lot. The color of the buildings are really unique. Everything looks like one solid block. Perfect light conditions my friend. The sharpness is very good. TFS, Gabriel

pablominto (41690) 2006-05-17 2:16

Hi Attila,
This is most interesting, the architecture is quite awesome!
Amazing to see satellite dishes and cars blending into the scenery from the past, nice touch to include the arriving person lower left!
Greetings,
Pablo -

nika (0) 2006-05-18 14:43

Szia Attila!

Nagyon erdekes kep es a cime is nagyon talalo!
Szerintem jo otlet volt az arab holgyet is belevinni a kepbe, ettol maga a kep is sokkal eletszerubb lett. A kek eg, a fekete ruhaba oltozott ember, valamint a sivar tajrol arulkodik a forrosag. Nagyon tetszik!
Udvozlet (meg) Budapestrol!
Anette

Budapestman (43292) 2006-05-22 7:40

Hi Attila!
Fantastic city, very good photo!
George

MIMACSKA (291) 2006-05-23 3:24

Szia Atus!

Hihetetlen jól fotózol! Ez a kép....Iyet még nem láttam de elképzelni sem tudtam idáig.
Nagyon jó a kép címe Is. Egyszerre kicsit futurisztikus és hagyomány követő is amit láthatunk a képeden.
Az, hoyg a színek és az élesség meg minden tökéletes, azt nem is mondom már. Ez a kép, a téma miatt n1 nekem.
Köszi! :-)
( Még nézegetem kicsit)

imoko (397) 2006-05-31 20:32

Hi Szili,
It is a very beautiful photograph!
However, it will be what it is always different from changing Manhattan, and this "Manhattan of desert" agrees in now when 8 grew old since you took this photograph, and it surely agrees with a place even if I visit it, and scenery can watch...:))
I want to try to look at this "Manhattan of desert" soaring high in the sky with eyes of my own sometime.
Tomo

arturo (31) 2006-07-04 5:46

Hi Attila,

splendid look at this amazing architecture full of nice proportions...great urban mood combined with a sand, desert-like feeling...all framed nicely including a lonesome passerby...any comparison to Manhattan is a big compliment to the place in the US...cheers, arturo

banyanman (7739) 2006-07-11 17:56

I was impressed by some photographs that Tan Yilmaz (capthaddock) posted from this place not long ago, and it seems that from whatever POV you shoot these buildings, an impressive image is the result. Great composition, exposure, sharpness and saturation, and I like the inclusion of the figure in the bottom left which adds some foreground life to the photograph. Cheers . . . David

elmec (12194) 2006-07-17 15:01

Hello Szili!
Such an egzotic view for us!
Great are the stones houses nd the sand everywhere!
Very good composed and framed with this woman in black!
Great work!
Best regards!

rushandy (206) 2006-07-20 9:40

Hi Szili,

Fantastic capture. Have you ever heard of Wilfred Thesiger? He was a British explorer who travelled among the Arabs in th Yemen and the Empty Quarter in the 1950's. He took a picture of Shibam from what looks like the exact same position as you. That too is a fantastic picture.

Thanks for posting.

paura (39608) 2006-08-06 19:50

Szili,
Nice photo. A fine composition of this amazing place.

Paulo

Lore007 (211) 2006-08-22 3:50

waw, makes me want to take a flight to Yemen right now!!

rahul__rahul__ (2250) 2006-09-04 11:29

Hi Attila
nice picture, I like the detail on these buildings and the colors are nice too. I want to go there!
Good job
TFS
Rahul

Emiel_Skyfreak (2976) 2006-09-22 9:11

Woow..thanks for sharing this.
Again I learned something about the world, I really didn't know. Great, so there is a sort Manhattan of the desert. Interesting that they started vertical building in 15xx allready, or maybe even earlier.
Good compo. Very nice sharpness. Bit flat colours..but okay desert sunlight..striking.
TFS, Well done.

adores (15841) 2006-10-19 17:46

Hi there Attila!
I had to comment this photo!This is a country I've been wanting to visit for so long. This perspective is great and the cars and the people in the streets give us an idea of the highness of these marvelous "desert skycrapers". A really unique place I believe.You did a good work with scanner! Did you like the country? Did you feel unsafe there?

Tibo (1842) 2007-03-15 3:56

Really nice shot! interesting to see the pattern of most of the buildings.. it tends to bend a little bit, right :) Cheersm Tibo

rod1 (3) 2007-04-18 14:23

ay mi dios, estare alli , que maravilla, wonderful place

nikyniky (88) 2007-05-09 5:32

Ciao Atus,
sono stata i Yemen qualche anno fa, Shibam è veramente un sogno e la tua fotografia è davvero bella.
Ciao
Niky

edal (6611) 2007-07-20 22:03

Very interesting capture! Great pov, wa and sharpness. The composition doesn't lack even a native in his tradittional dress.
My best Regards, Attila!
Anton

Jakab (3534) 2007-10-18 14:28

Hallottam ugyan róla, de sose gondoltam volna, hogy ennyire Manhattan-szerű. Persze, apró különbségekkel, amikből nemcsak a magasság és az építőanyag az érdekes, hanem az is, hogyha jól látom, a házak itt végül egyetlen építménnyé állnak össze! (Hasonló a helyzet a középkori provence-i kisvárosokkal, ahol egyik ház tartja a másikat, tehát ha egy összedől, megy utána az egész város.)
Szépen kiegyenlítettek a fények, hogy minden részletet lássunk, a burnuszos alakra meg kifejezetten szükség van, nehogy Amerikába képzeljük ezt az egészet.

vagabondtravels (6115) 2007-10-23 0:40

Hi Attila

This is a place that I have always wanted to visit. I have not had to opportunity yet, but I hope soon. You have captured it beautifully. Reall well done.
Ben

edytungkal (4521) 2007-11-29 22:45

Hello Attila friend,
I see your picture has chose as featured destination - Handramawt, Yemen to day. I think i miss this shot from your galeries, despite just from scanned picture the quality is very good, thanks for showing this historic city of Shibam.

daniel

jonathan_hart (22739) 2008-02-01 12:32

i discover this location, and this photo, good POV and framing, well composed with hte black silhouette
regards
jo