Seiyun
The main Hadhramaut city, with a vast whitewashed mud-brick sultan's palace.
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Seiyun sits in the middle of the Wadi Hadhramaut and is dominated by the palace the Kathiri sultans built there, an enormous whitewashed mud-brick block of several storeys with towers at the corners, standing above the palm gardens on a rise in the middle of the town. It has served as a museum. Seiyun is the practical centre of the Hadhramaut and the base for Shibam, Tarim and the wadis.
What you actually see
- The Kathiri palace - the vast whitewashed mud-brick block above the town.
- The palm gardens - the cultivation filling the wadi floor around the city.
- The wadi setting - the valley the Hadhramaut towns are strung along.
- The base position - the centre for reaching Shibam, Tarim and the side valleys.
When to go
October to March is the cool season. Summer in the wadi is extremely hot. The palace museum's status has varied.
Honest expectations
The palace museum's opening has been uncertain and should not be assumed. Facilities are basic. Access to mainland Yemen requires arrangements made well in advance.
Nearby
Shibam is west, and Tarim is east.
What to pack for Seiyun
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.