Al-Ranad Fort, in Tarim, is one of the better-preserved fortified palaces of the Hadramawt. Despite the name, it is not a true military fortress but a heavily defended residence — the wadi was a dangerous place for centuries and even merchant houses were built with crenellations, narrow windows and a single fortified entrance.
The building's stamped-earth construction shows the same techniques used in Shibam: thick lower walls of stone and lime, upper storeys of mud brick, exterior plastered white with lime to reflect the heat and shed the occasional rains. A good complement to the more famous tower-houses of Shibam.