"Tarim" Tarim by janiebaxter

Tarim was an important centre for the Kathiri family who ruled the area from Say'un, and it was the Hadramaut capital before Say'un.
The Palaces were mostly built between 1900 and 1940, by wealthy families who left for Saudi Arabia in the early 1960’s. They are different to the traditional tall buildings of the Hadramaut with a very classical influence much more like traditional palaces with plenty of space and columns. Stained Glass is used abundantly along with Indian and Asian style decoration, including painted ceilings and fancy lattice woodwork. All the Palaces were abandoned and are now crumbling ruins as they are made from mud brick and haven’t been maintained.
Tarim can be visited in a day from Seiyun, as it is only 35km North.

Tarim Mosque in front of the mountains

Tarim has an important religious history and has a mosque for every day of the year. It was a sunni centre of learning in the 17th to 19th centuries and there is an amazing library behind the Al Mahdar mosque.

Breakfast in a pickup with qat

Away from the many Palaces and Mosques in Tarim daily life goes on as usual. The combination of traditional and modern daily life can be seen with this man enjoying his breakfast at the side of the road by the shops, in the back of his pickup with a qat plant.

• Pros:Great Palaces, Incredible Mosque and Library
• Cons:A pity the palaces aren't kept in better condition
• In a nutshell:Far more interesting than Say'un