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BBC World

Building For Islam will be showing on:
Saturdays at 1430 GMT - Starting Saturday 15th September
Repeated: Saturdays at 2130, Sundays at 0430 & 0930 and Mondays at 0130 (Not Asia or ME) GMT

Building For Islam takes a close look at the finalists of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, recognising architectural excellence throughout the Islamic world: some ancient; some modern; some utilitarian; and all unique.

This four-part series takes an exclusive access-all-areas look behind the scenes moo bella the bbc as the world’s biggest architectural prize decides what’s in and what’s not in the Islamic architectural world.

Some five hundred mud brick skyscrapers, eight stories high appear mirage like on the desertified Yemeni landscape. They are a sight to behold. This is the historic city of Shibam, the Manhattan of the Desert, where despite several flooding and erosion, some buildings date back 300 years and the site of vital efforts being made in order to preserve this idiosyncratic fragile metropolis for future generations.

Shibam is one of a select number of eye-catching and ofetn breathtaking Islamic architectural projects, which have been shortlisted for the finals of the Aga Khan Award bbc Architecture.

BBC World

Video available here