Preservation of Urban Fabric: Towards Sustainable Development of Tarim City in Hadhramout Valley, Yemen

Authors

Anwer Ahmed Baeissa

Abstract

The Old Hadhrami Cities such as Tarim are famous for many luxurious palaces whose buildings integrated both the Hadhrami architectural original style and the Asian one. Thus the use of local construction materials in the city's luxurious palaces made of mud clearly indicates the concept of active participation of the inhabitants in determining the quality of the architectural heritage which emerged from their social and cultural traditions and customs. This special use of local construction materials in buildings gives the city a distinguished position among other cities in the region. The present study aims at highlighting mainly the source of available facilities of urban development as well as the preservation of the city with regard to the available land space for sustainable development and the possibility of including some new services and projects to meet the needs of inhabitants. The large number of mosques, clay houses and religious schools in Tarim, all these buildings together, constitute a unique identity in the architectural construction in the city which appear clearly in the availability of a network of main and secondary roads located in the city under study. Further, the study aims to find out if it is possible to link the palaces in Tarim with other surrounding buildings in the area of the city through the suggested roads and passageways there. Finally, the study seeks to investigate the instructions and guidelines necessary for the city's sustainable development through making use of the empty spaces and areas which may be useful for the meeting of the city's visitors. All these supporting facilities are necessary for the urban renovation of the city under study for they might help in improving the economic situation for this region. Moreover, they might provide the city with the necessary services as well as connecting it with the other surrounding regions for the sake of tourism investment as an alternative for the crafting and industrial ones in the heritage environment. The city inhabitants' increasing awareness of the heritage environment supports the preservation of those historical cities and as a result, encourages the inhabitants to settle in that area.

Recommended Citation

Baeissa, Anwer Ahmed (2020) "Preservation of Urban Fabric: Towards Sustainable Development of Tarim City in Hadhramout Valley, Yemen," Hadhramout University Journal of Natural & Applied Sciences: Vol. 17: Iss. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/huj_nas/vol17/iss1/2