“There is a common language between me and the building. In every house I try to preserve. I think the city is grateful to me, and I am grateful to the city because it has taught me a lot.” Yemeni engineer Harbia Al-Himiary said, explaining his relationship with the Yemeni capital.
Mr. Al-Himiary has worked since childhood to fulfill his dream of preserving Sana’a’s heritage and ensuring “the continuity of our history as one of the greatest civilizations.”
As a project officer at the Cultural Heritage Department of the Historic City Authority of Old Sana’a, she is currently working on a UN-supported project to restore dozens of historic buildings in Sana’a and across Yemen.
Harbiya al-Hamiry, a Yemeni cultural heritage engineer who set out on a mission to revive the country’s historic buildings.
‘There is no difference between men and women’
“There is no difference between men and women when it comes to preserving this historic city,” she asserted, emphasizing respect among all members of the team as well as residents of the neighborhoods in which they work. “It is true that we face challenges and difficulties, but by working as a team we rise above them. “We now have many female engineers involved in the project, proving their competitiveness in this field every day, all contributing to the preservation of this gem.”
In every project she has worked on, Ms. Al-Himiary has tried to find opportunities for women and girls. “For example, when I was in the old town of Zabid, we taught several girls traditional building crafts such as carpentry, woodworking, plastering and carpentry. As we opened up more training opportunities, we found that participation rates were equal for boys and girls. In some transactions, girls outnumbered boys.”
Yemeni cultural heritage technician Harbiya al-Hamiry on a walk around Old Sana’a.
When she asked why she was training one of the girls in traditional woodworking skills, she told Mr. Al-Humairi that by restoring the wooden decorations in her house, she was exercising her rights as one of the house owners and preserving them. He said he would do it. Privacy for her and her family.
“My advice to women is to choose a field that you enjoy. Because as long as she loves the field, she will definitely succeed in it,” says the engineer. “With patience, hard work, and persistence, you will definitely be able to achieve your desired goals.”
Cultural heritage conservation technician Harbia Al Himiary (center)
