The Ruined Palaces and other Tarim, Yemen Things to Do Tips

The Al Khaf Family Palace is typical of the ruined palaces of Tarim, which are built of mud brick and therefore crumbling badly and in need of restoration.
Most were built between 1900 and 1940, by wealthy families who left for Saudi Arabia in the early 1960’s. They have 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

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Tarim has an important religious history and was a sunni centre of learning in the 17th to 19th centuries - there are 365 mosques in Tarim.
Al Mahdar mosque has a minaret 62m high and the original mosque dates from the 10th century. The mosque has been rebuilt in 1915 and beautifully restored. It is incredible to think it is made from mud brick (with limestone plaster).

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Al-Ahgaf Manuscript library is located in the side street just behind the Al Mahdar mosque.
The library has thousands of old and rare books and manuscripts on religion, medicine, law, astronomy and science. Many of the manuscripts are very brightly illustrated.
It is well laid out, although all the signs are in Arabic and it is surprisingly modern inside with PCs and modern display cases.
You can view some of the manuscript copies in glass display cases and can take photographs providing you do not use a flash.
There is a whole room devoted to Sufism.

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Many of the old Palaces had beautiful Stained Glass Windows which, although not that old, are made more fabulous as the glass is incorporated into the building style of the area and compliments the carved lattice woodwork. Mostly the glass is cut into large pieces and the lattice work forms the design, with only a few different glass colours used - red, green, blue, yellow. This technique works beautifully to diffuse the sunlight into the room in a myriad of colours, reflecting off the mirrors on the walls and ceilings.
One of the Palaces has been restored a little and you can go inside.

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