Muhafazat Hadramawt Things to Do Tips by Nansen

Visit Shibam

Shibam appear in the middle of Hadramawt Valley like a mirage. The picture of Shibam appears in all the travel guides about Yemen. But any picture can prepare you to visit this high skyscrapers of mud.
Shibam was declared World Heritage in 1984. The only two other places declared Human Heritage are the old city of Sana´a and the fortified city of Zabid.
Shibam is often threaten when Hadramawt is in flood, because these buildings consisted mainly of mud. So, in history, the city has been razed by the river several times, but fortunately, rebuilded.
To see more pictures, see my following travelog.
Shibam

Wadi Dawan or Do´uan

Following wadi dawan in the way to Mukalla, is a great experience. There you can visit some other towns and villages less famous and touristics (not as famous as Seyyun or Shibam) but as beautiful and perhaps more autenthique.
Passing Al Hajjarah you will cross Sif, Qarn Ben Majid,BadhaHudun and Rihab.
From Rihab where you will see one of the widest palm tree plantations in Yemen, you can follow the valley in order to reach Al Khureiba, or taking the road up, ascednig through the cliffs of the wadi, to reach the road to Mukalla.

Directions: Passing the town of Hawra, you have to leave the main road and follow a secondary road to Al Hajarayn.

Al Hajjarain

Travelling form Hawra (Hadramawt valley) to Mukalla (in the coast) can be done following the main road or taking a secondary road more beautiful and spectacular which cross Wadi Dawan and pass through Al Hajjarain.
Al Hajjarain has an ancient origin, being in the past the main town of the Kinda tribe, the tribe wihch fought against muslim religion from 628 to 758 .
Al Hajjarain buildings are the traditional house-towers, or bayt, builded with sun-dryied brick (adobe).
The sight of the village is unique.

Directions: The secondary road along Wadi Dawan

Tarim Palace

I recommend to visit the Ishsha Palace.

Tarim Palaces

All around Tarim, and specially in the southeastern part of the town, near the road, you can find some beautiful palaces in really bad estate.
These palaces were usually builded by emigrant people which came back to Hadramawt bringing the fortune they earned in the southern asia.
All these palaces were abandoned by these families in the Comunist Revolution, when the Comunist Rulers brought to live there some poor families, which nearly destroyed some of the palaces.
Now, you can still visit some of them.

Tarim

History in Tarim, as in other towns and villages in Hadramawt valley has been convulsed and turbulent.
It was an important stop in the Incense route to Shabwa, as other towns in Hadramawt.
Tarim has also been a center to muslim students and religious, so there is the second most important muslim library in country. So, it is said Tarim people is very religious, some of the most orthodox sunni muslims.
Tarim people has been also famous for being emigrants who have travelled and established in the eastern african coast and Indonesia, Malaysia and the southern asia.

Seyyun Sultan Palace Museum

The old palace of the Kathirid family, the rulers which governed Hadramawt untill the sixties, is well-conserved and today is a museum it´s worth the effort to visit.
The current building was builded between 1920-1930 over the old palace.
The museum has some pieces of weapons, dress, old pictures, art, etc... from Hadramawt valley. There is also an archeological exposition, with some pieces from the Bronze Age.

Directions: It´s easy to find the Palace, in fornt of the main square of Seyyun.

Seiyun Old City

Seiyun is considered the capital city of Hadramawt.
It was an old stop in the incense route, which came from the Coast. But when Seyyun had its main importance was under the Kathiri rulers, which governed the city and the region from the s.XV untill 1967, when they had to escape beacuse of the Comunist Revolution.
Kathiri rulers were allied with the british government of Aden, so Seyyun was the northern main city of the Aden Proctectorate.
Market in Seyyun, around the Sultan Palace and the old city it´s something you should visit when exploring this city.