The Vertical Expansion of Shabam

Shabam lies in a valley at the confluence of several waddies. A waddy is a ravine or river channel that is dry most of the time but then floods with water during the rainy season. The city has suffered catastrophic flooding damage at various points in history such as in 1532. This detail makes for some really beautiful photos, though, because you see those brilliant green date-pulms all around the outside walls of the city.