It has been applied to agriculture, energy, architecture and water for thousands of years
Expo .. The first birth certificate for "sustainability" .. Yemeni
Photography: Youssef Al Harmoudi.
picture
Yemen's pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai carries a message of optimism for a better future, and presents an image of a happy Yemen with all its ancient historical heritage and experiences that benefited humanity.
The pavilion leads its visitors on an interesting journey through time, to discover that this country preceded the world in applying sustainability standards in its currently known forms, which the exhibition focuses on. And water conservation, which are areas that the world is working on developing and solving its challenges.
The deputy commissioner of the Yemeni wing, Dr. Manahil Thabet, told "Emirates Today": "The visitor learns, through this unique trip, how Yemen has used hundreds of advanced water systems for thousands of years, the most famous of which is the Ma'rib Dam, which was built in the eighth century BC in Wadi Sheba, an engineering marvel from the ancient world, was built in a pyramidal shape with a length of 550 meters, and was distinguished by a gate to control the flow of water and irrigate more than 4000 acres.
Thanks to him, life flourished in this region, which turned into a major route for trade convoys linking the Mediterranean with the Arabian Peninsula, and became the cornerstone of civilization in the region.
She added that "the pavilion presents a unique experience of alternative energy in the city of Aden, which is windmills supported by wide canvas sails, to exploit wind energy to pump sea water, with the aim of making salt, inspiring what is currently known as contemporary wind turbines."
The trip also included a presentation of the Yemeni farmers’ experience of using solar energy to dry crops, to increase their storage period, and reviewed an exciting aspect of Yemen’s use of the oldest types of elevators, which were cranes operating with a parallel weight mechanism, with the power of pushing animals, indicating that Yemen was one of the first civilizations that used alternative energy.
Thabet pointed out that sustainable architecture is also one of the most prominent achievements of the ancient civilization of Yemen, as the city of Shibam was built in the central Hadhramaut region from the ninth century, and is home to the oldest skyscrapers in the world, and is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was built entirely with local materials. , based on sun-dried bricks, recyclable and usable components to cool temperatures with rare precision in a sequence of windows to ensure air freshness, in addition to tinted glass that reflects the sun's rays, and heat-insulating materials that are waterproof and weather-resistant.
The experiment was applied in Sana'a, Saada, Thila and Zabid, all of which are historical cities that contain architectural fortresses based on sustainability.
Thabet pointed out that the experience of farming on mountain terraces and hills is still considered one of the human miracles in this field, as it dates back to 3000 BC.
• “The Ma’rib Dam in Wadi Sheba... An engineering marvel from the ancient world.”
• «The city of Shibam in Hadramawt .. Home of the oldest skyscrapers in the world».