Threatened by the disruption that might ensue from the construction of a road, the Yemeni Thula community has undertaken a series of historic preservation projects to protect cultural assets with the help of The Social Fund for Development and architect Abdullah Al-Hadrami, which have been shortlisted for the 2013 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
These included rebuilding the walls of burial grounds and walls of agricultural terraces, restoring the Bab al Mayah gate, watch towers, paths and waterways, and repairing the cistern that remains in use to this day. The area is well-known for artefacts from the Sabaean period and its prototypical massive stone architecture, and during the preservation process an archaeological site was discovered, allowing ofr further insights into the Sabaeans and their civilisation.
Al-Hadrami: Thula Fort
With the help of local architect Abdullah Al-Hadram, the Thula community has undertaken a series of preservation projects in Yemen, which have been shortlisted for the 2013 Aga Khan Award.
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- 16 May 2013
- Thula, Yemen
Abdullah Al-Hadrami: Thula Fort Restoration
Location: Thula, Yemen
Architect: Abdullah Al-Hadrami, Sana’a, Yemen
Client: The Social Fund for Development, Thula Local Council
Completed: 2011
Design: 2004
Site size: 8,754 square metres