Say'ūn

Sayun stands among palm gardens in Wadi Hadramawt, the great valley that crosses eastern Yemen. Above its buildings rises the palace of the Kathiri rulers, an imposing work of mudbrick architecture. Like other settlements of the valley, Sayun used earth from the wadi to build thick-walled houses suited to its dry climate.

The palace began as a defensive fortress before the sixteenth century and later became the seat of the Kathiri sultans. During the rule of Sultan Badr Abu Tuwayriq in that century, Sayun expanded as a centre of Kathiri power. The ruling house occupied the palace above the town, making it a visible sign of authority in a valley shared by rival families, cultivators and merchants. Its position between the settlements of Shibam and Tarim placed Sayun among the principal towns of the Hadramawt interior.