The Architecture found in Yemen is among the most sophisticated and enduring traditions in human history – a monument to the reaches that people could build to even without modern, post-industrial materials and methods. These relics, often older than 500 years old, are more at risk than ever, due to socio-political issues in yemen.
Central to this architectural tradition is the “zabur” technique, which is among a collection of practices essential to earthen architecture in Yemen, from the coursed-clay methods in the highlands to the iconic “gingerbread” fired-brick patterns found in the capital, Sana’a.
The master builders “ustads” utilize several distinct systems based on the required outcome – each varying the preparation of the earth, the firing or not-firing of that earth, and the methods of application. This allows zabur to adapt to the various features of the yemeni landscape – optimizing from the humid coastal plains to the volcanic plateaus.
In technical literature, “zabur” is defined as a direct-forming technique – utilizing wet, straw-reinforced clay soil to build walls without the use of formwork or molds. This is reminiscent of the European technique of “cob.” This definition of the term, however, is limited – and many linguists and experts of old Sana’a argue that it’s also inextricably linked to the intricate patterns of the fired-mud bricks that comprise much of the city’s facades. This intertwines the later, post-Islamic styles of decorative brick-and-gypsum towers with the ancient past’s monolithic clay walls – what I’ll call “pure zabur.”
In the northern regions, zabur remains as a pure coursed-clay tradition. The material is prepared in pits and formed into balls, which are then thrown to the master mason standing on top of the wall, who settles the material into place. In Sana’a, the zabur is the fired mud-bricks that are adorned with ornamentation drawn of white gypsum.
These techniques allowed Yemeni to build stronger, and then eventually higher – leading to the creation of tower houses. These traditional tower houses in the old cities were set on stone foundations of basalt, on top of which carefully fitted, locally quarried tuffa and limestone up to 10 meters tall is laid. Above that, the zabur bricks are laid – and then on top of that an aged lime plaster called qadad is applied as an exterior waterproofing layer (atleast on the rooftops).
Yemeni Architecture reflects a “profound interaction between humans and their environment“(IJSDP), standing as a creative embodiment of beauty, simplicity, and the extents of human ingenuity of the past. Rapid urban development in recent years, however, has created disharmony and a detachment from societal traditions – something that looking at and preserving techniques from the past may help with reconciling.
Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/photo/yemenis-make-mud-bricks-unique-architecture-flna1c7186688
https://www.mutualart.com/Article/The-Yemen-s-mud-brick-buildings/573E9A38ED3968A1
https://dev.earth-auroville.com/stacked-earth-cob/
Traditional Yemeni Architecture: Craftsmanship and Sustainability
the first book to offer an in-depth investigation into the characteristic architecture of the southern and eastern towns of Yemen, which until the early 1990s were extremely difficult of access. The author’s first-hand research provides detailed insights into building design, techniques and methods that, though rich in tradition and accomplishment, are little known outside the region.
