It took 15 years to build and remained steadfast in the face of nature for centuries.. Sayun Palace, the seat of the rule of the Kathiri state in Yemen

Seiyun Palace or Kathiri Palace, one of the largest and rarest palaces built of mud bricks more than 5 centuries ago in the city of Seiyun in Hadramout (southeast Yemen), and it was affiliated with the Kathiri state whose sultans successively renewed its architecture and added new facilities, accessories and outlets, throughout their rule from 1411 to 1967.

The palace, which took 15 years to build on an area of ​​5,460 square meters, is characterized by unique and consistent architectural creativity, and is considered an archaeological engineering masterpiece and one of the most important heritage landmarks in Yemen.

In 1984, it became the headquarters of the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums, and the headquarters of the Seiyun Museum.

It was the face of a thousand riyals coin.

The fortress of the Sultans of Al Kathir

South Yemen was part of the British Empire from 1839 to 1967, comprising 23 semi-autonomous sultanates and sheikhdoms.

The fort was called "Al-Dawil" before Yemen's independence, and it was the seat of rule of the Kathiri state since its founding in 1411, which ruled a large part of the Hadramout Valley (when it was under British protection in 1916), and it is the largest province in the country, as it occupies 36% of the country. its area.

In the year 1516, its sultan, Badr bin Abdullah Al-Kathiri, known as "Abu Tuwaireq", made the city of Seiyun - in the middle of the Hadramout Valley - the political capital of his state, and made the fort the seat of his residence and his rule, which extended for 60 years.

He renovated his building and built a mosque with it on the northern side, and in the same fort his son arrested him and imprisoned him in the "Mariam" fortress, which is about two kilometers away from him, and he died there.

In 1713, Salih bin Mansour al-Awlaki came to support Omar bin Jaafar al-Kathiri and renovated the fort.

In 1857, Ghalib bin Muhsin al-Kathiri (the founder of the second Kathiri state) renovated the building of the fort, which was considered a military fortress until the year 1411, and his son, "Mansur bin Ghalib" completed its restoration.

In 1926, the grandson, Ali bin Mansour bin Ghalib Al-Kathiri, completed the architecture and painted the fort with light (plaster), and placed for him the (gates) and (Al-Aqr) blocks with stone, which is the tower that ascends to the fort, and he built the large room in and around the facade, and the palace remained As it has been since 1936.

Some historical references say that the name "Fort Al-Dawil" lasted 540 years, during the era of the first, second and third sultans of the Kathiri state, and Sultan Hussein bin Ali bin Mansour Al Kathiri was the last one to inhabit it before the fall of his rule in 1967.

A fortress since the first Hijri centuries

There are many historical accounts about the period of establishing the palace with a huge mud building, and historians say that it was established as a fortress to protect the city of Seiyun during an ancient period preceding the beginning of the emergence of the Kathiri state, which later used it as the seat of its power, and expanded and modernized it, but the historical sources did not mention who built or designed it.

And the director of the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums in Wadi Hadramout, Hussein Al-Aidros, went;

He pointed out that the stage of establishing the palace dates back to a period of time from the tenth century AH, and he saw that the construction style, which took 15 years, indicates the possibility that the process of its construction was older than that for a long time, and that the first engineering design of the building established an impregnable fortress aimed at protecting the city. Since the first Hijri centuries.

This building - according to Al-Aidarous - was not the only one in Hadramout at the time, which made it draw its architectural style from other defensive buildings that were scattered along the areas of Wadi Hadramout, in addition to its mixing with external architectural styles, over the subsequent periods.

From the Revolution Palace to Seiyun

With the success of the revolution that broke out in southern Yemen with the expulsion of British colonialism and the overthrow of the Kathiri state in 1967, the palace was called the "Palace of the Revolution", as the revolutionary government took it as the headquarters of the police and security services.

After the Yemeni unity in which north and south Yemen were merged in 1990, the palace was given its current name "Saeyun Palace" or "Kathiri Palace", and the republican authority at that time ordered the transformation of the royal palaces into cultural houses open to the visit.

In 1984, it became the headquarters of the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums and the headquarters of the Seiyun Museum, and many activities and events were held inside it.

Its most important activities are the Art Heritage Exhibition in December, the Antiquities Festival, and then celebrations and seminars to revive heritage.

Historic place in a historic city

The palace is located on a rocky hill in the heart of the city of Seiyun, in a strategic location overlooking the cities of "Shibam" to the west and "Tarim" to the east, as well as the various directions of the city of Seiyun and its commercial activity center.

And he quoted the scholar Omar bin Abd al-Rahman al-Bar (1099-1158 AH), that “Saeyun” is the name of a woman who had an arish in the western side of Seiyun, which is today called “Al-Suhail”, and the separated wayfarers pass by it, so the area was named after her.

Seiyun is also called "the long one";

Because it extends longitudinally and is surrounded by an old wall estimated to be approximately 5 miles long, with 5 gates and 25 small castles.

The huge Seiyun Palace overlooks the entire city and consists of 6 floors (French)

In Seiyun, there are many palaces, domes, and mosques that are considered among the beautiful Islamic monuments, and most of its land is endowed with no less than 300 mosques.

The author of the Dictionary of Yemeni Countries and Tribes, Ibrahim Al-Muqhafi, said, "Saeyun, which is - a city of science and civilization - is the largest city in the Hadramout Valley, and Sayun is an old building inhabited by the Kinda tribes, then the Nahd tribes, and it became one of the lands of Al Katheer since the tenth century AH and the capital of their state later." .

The palace consists of 4 corners (nasoul), and it has 4 entrances on each side, an official entrance, and in the front two entrances.

The building, consisting of 6 floors, was built in 1926, and its height exceeds 25 meters, and its height relative to the ground level is more than 45 meters.

The palace knew different patterns in its construction, as every sultan used to add and put his mark in the place, as the palace was basically built as a fortress, so the building was based on fortifications that included the wall and other facilities, and when it turned into a palace, its upper floors were added.

It was like a gigantic mud castle with towers in its corners, and the height of its building revealed all the city and the neighboring villages. It also provided elements for confronting the siege, such as watch towers, large warehouses, and a water well, and this was proven in many battles that the city witnessed.

A palace made of adobe clay

The process of building the geometrically symmetrical Seiyun Palace was carried out in several successive stages of time, and the character of its mud construction was gradual.

The building was made of mud and adobe, and it was left at each stage until the moisture dried from it and its salts were excreted after exposure to the wind and the sun, then it was coated with lime (lime) from the outside.

Its white color had an important role in reflecting the sun's rays on the building, which reduces the heat it absorbed throughout that period.

With this mud architecture, the palace was erected and was ultimately coherent, symmetrical and beautiful, and has remained steadfast until today, as it has known since its establishment two stages of restoration, the first in 1516 and the second in 2001, and archaeologists confirm that it cannot withstand without continuous restoration and maintenance.

Mud architecture flourishes in Wadi Hadramout, due to its suitability to the valley's atmosphere, which is characterized by heat and dryness. Studies have shown a clear harmony between the spatial environment represented by the natural environment of all kinds, and the mud building architecture in the region.

Painting the palace white contributes to reflecting the sun's rays and reducing its heat (French)

The mud building method generally depends on:

• Clay bricks are the main building material. They are made by mixing clay with an amount of straw. They are produced by choosing clay that has a high silt content and is free of salts. This type is called locally (Zubar), then it is left to ferment for a week or two, then it is poured into wooden moulds. different dimensions, and leave to dry in the sun.

• Limestone is used in building foundations and is brought from the surrounding mountain areas.

• Lime (Al-Nourah): Limestone is burned and melted in kilns (Koura), then beaten, crumbled and turned into a fine powder mixed with sand. The surfaces and faces of buildings are coated with it as a moisture-insulating material.

• Wood, used in building and constructing bridges that connect the foundations and walls of the mud building, and it is called (subt), the most important of which is the wood of the Sidr tree (boxes), and it is known for the characteristics of its (red) wood in terms of hardness and ground resistance, and it is used to cover the width of the wall and to strengthen the internal walls (the bride). And in building roofs and supporting them with (arrows), and in making windows and doors in different shapes and locations.

• Among the building preservation mechanisms;

  Mixing clay with hay and animal dung to increase its consistency, then paint the walls with light and ash (Tarqa), to make it more durable and resistant to rain and air.

Components and roles

The palace consists of:

• 6 floors built of fine clay and painted with al-Nura and al-Qadad.

• 96 rooms, of which 41 are large rooms.

• 32 bathrooms (WC).

• 14 warehouses and warehouses for the country's many supplies and needs.

• 20 side surfaces similar to building agricultural terraces.

The palace was turned into a museum in the twentieth century and was developed into facilities for displaying culture and heritage (French)

Its floors were used in the following:

• The first floor: warehouses and warehouses for the requirements of the state and minors, and it contains the residence of servants and minor workers.

• The second round: the administration of the many state;

  The Royal Council and the Office of Sultan Al-Kathiri, which are now offices of the Museums and Antiquities Authority branch in Seiyun.

• The third floor: allocated for housing families and family sessions.

• The fourth floor: allocated to the Sultan's wives and receiving female guests.

• The fifth floor: a roof protected by a curtain of masonry that wraps the palace like a turban connected to the two rooms built on two opposite sides (eastern and western), and the Sultan used one of them to rest and the other as his private bedroom.

• The sixth floor: It is a breathing space for the residents of the palace. Those standing on it can see and see everything that is going on in the city and around the palace, and even watch those who are going outside the city and coming to it.

Museum and theater

The palace is still in its condition until now, and more than 50% of its area has become a museum, which opened in 1983, and its halls include archaeological collections of historical value, including:

A part of the palace was allocated to the Department of the Ministry of Culture, and an open theater with a capacity of more than 5,000 people was built in the southeastern façade of the palace in 1982.