Rehabilitating the Qu‘aiti Palace in al Qatin

The 19th-century Qu’aiti Palace, the former seat of the Sultana who ruled Hadramout until 1967, is one of the main cultural sites in this area and located 23 km from Shibam. The five-floor palace, constructed of sun-dried mud bricks, faced significant damage from seasonal flooding and rains, leading to gradual deterioration and ceiling collapses. Moreover, during the conflict in Hadramout from 2015 to 2017, the site experienced multiple instances of looting and destruction. A project implemented by Daw’an Architecture Foundation (Yemen) and supported by ALIPH is reconstructing and restoring this historical building. The first phase of work included emergency stabilization of the structure. Then, a site survey identified the necessary interventions to restore it. These works are now being implemented. Once completed, the palace will be used for community and cultural activities.