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{{About|the town|the former district|Ghadames District|the language|Ghadamès language|the bug Cydamus|Cydamus (bug)}}{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

factoids

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factoids



}}}} Ghadames or Ghadamis {{IPAc-en|ɡ|ə|ˈ|d|æ|m|ᵻ|s}} () is an oasis town in the Nalut District of the Tripolitania region in northwestern Libya.Ghadamès, known as 'the pearl of the desert', stands in an oasis. It is one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities and an outstanding example of a traditional settlement. Its domestic architecture is characterized by a vertical division of functions: the ground floor used to store supplies; then another floor for the family, overhanging covered alleys that create what is almost an underground network of passageways; and, at the top, open-air terraces reserved for the women.WEB,weblink Old Town of Ghadamès – UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Centre, UNESCO World Heritage, whc.unesco.org, en, 2016-07-20,

Geography

Ghadames lies roughly {{convert|462|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the southwest of Tripoli, near the borders with Algeria and Tunisia. Ghadames borders Illizi Province, Algeria and Tataouine Governorate, Tunisia.The oasis has a population of around 10,000, mainly Berbers. The old part of the town, which is surrounded by a city wall, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Each of the seven clans that used to live in this part of the town had its own district, of which each had a public place where festivals could be held.

Climate

Ghadames has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with hot summers as average high temperature is around 41 Â°C (105.8 Â°F) in July, the hottest month of the year as well as cool winters (with high diurnal variation). The town receives little precipitation throughout the year as average annual precipitation is only 73.1 mm (1.30 in).{{Weather box|width = 30|location= Ghadames (1961–1990, extremes 1913–1993)|metric first=yes|single line=yes|Jan record high C = 32.0|Feb record high C = 35.0|Mar record high C = 41.3|Apr record high C = 48.0|May record high C = 52.0|Jun record high C = 55.2|Jul record high C = 53.4|Aug record high C = 52.4|Sep record high C = 50.0|Oct record high C = 48.0|Nov record high C = 39.0|Dec record high C = 30.4|year record high C = 55.2|Jan high C = 17.6|Feb high C = 20.7|Mar high C = 24.4|Apr high C = 29.7|May high C = 34.6|Jun high C = 39.8|Jul high C = 40.3|Aug high C = 39.8|Sep high C = 36.4|Oct high C = 30.0|Nov high C = 23.8|Dec high C = 18.2|year high C = 29.6|Jan mean C = 8.4|Feb mean C = 9.2|Mar mean C = 12.2|Apr mean C = 16.8|May mean C = 23.6|Jun mean C = 27.9|Jul mean C = 28.7|Aug mean C = 29.0|Sep mean C = 25.6|Oct mean C = 19.2|Nov mean C = 14.0|Dec mean C = 9.9|year mean C = |Jan low C = 3.6|Feb low C = 5.7|Mar low C = 9.0|Apr low C = 13.8|May low C = 17.8|Jun low C = 22.3|Jul low C = 22.4|Aug low C = 22.5|Sep low C = 20.1|Oct low C = 15.0|Nov low C = 9.0|Dec low C = 4.4|year low C = 13.8|Jan record low C = -6.9|Feb record low C = -8.0|Mar record low C = -2.6|Apr record low C = 0.0|May record low C = 6.0|Jun record low C = 7.8|Jul record low C = 10.8|Aug record low C = 13.0|Sep record low C = 10.0|Oct record low C = 1.4|Nov record low C = -4.0|Dec record low C = -6.0|year record low C = -8.0|precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation mm = 5.0|Feb precipitation mm = 4.6|Mar precipitation mm = 6.8|Apr precipitation mm = 3.6|May precipitation mm = 2.3|Jun precipitation mm = 0.1|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0|Aug precipitation mm = 0.3|Sep precipitation mm = 0.8|Oct precipitation mm = 4.0|Nov precipitation mm = 2.1|Dec precipitation mm = 3.4|year precipitation mm = |unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm|Jan precipitation days = 1.1|Feb precipitation days = 1.2|Mar precipitation days = 1.5|Apr precipitation days = 0.9|May precipitation days = 0.4|Jun precipitation days = 0.2|Jul precipitation days = 0.1|Aug precipitation days = 0.1|Sep precipitation days = 0.2|Oct precipitation days = 1.0|Nov precipitation days = 0.8|Dec precipitation days = 1.2|year precipitation days =|Jan humidity = 52|Feb humidity = 41|Mar humidity = 36|Apr humidity = 28|May humidity = 26|Jun humidity = 22|Jul humidity = 22|Aug humidity = 23|Sep humidity = 29|Oct humidity = 35|Nov humidity = 47|Dec humidity = 53|year humidity = 34|Jan sun = 248.0|Feb sun = 240.1|Mar sun = 257.3|Apr sun = 273.0|May sun = 313.1|Jun sun = 309.0|Jul sun = 372.0|Aug sun = 353.4|Sep sun = 273.0|Oct sun = 263.5|Nov sun = 246.0|Dec sun = 232.5|year sun =|Jand sun = 8.0|Febd sun = 8.5|Mard sun = 8.3|Aprd sun = 9.1|Mayd sun = 10.1|Jund sun = 10.3|Juld sun = 12.0|Augd sun = 11.4|Sepd sun = 9.1|Octd sun = 8.5|Novd sun = 8.2|Decd sun = 7.5|yeard sun = 9.3|source 1 = WMOWEB,weblink Climatological Information, World Meteorological Organization, 19 December 2012, |source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes and humidity),WEB,weblink Klimatafel von Ghadames / Libyen, Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world, Deutscher Wetterdienst, de, 27 March 2016, Arab Meteorology Book (sun only)WEB,weblink Appendix I: Meteorological Data, Springer, 27 March 2016, 4 March 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304072830weblink">weblink dead, }}

History

Ancient eras

(File:Libya 4432 Ghadames Luca Galuzzi 2007.jpg|thumb|Houses in Ghadames are made of mud, lime, and palm tree trunks with covered alleyways between them to offer good shelter against summer heat.)It has been suggested, based on archaeological evidence, that this area has been settled since the 4th millennium B.C., and is one of the oldest pre-Saharan settlements. Its situation near a water source in the middle of a desert would have made it an important spot for anyone seeking to settle in the area.The first written records about Ghadames date from the Roman period when the settlement was known as Cydamus, from which modern Ghadames derives its name. In the 1st century BC, the Roman proconsul Lucius Cornelius Balbus invaded Cydamus during the reign of emperor Augustus.WEB,weblink Ghadames (Ghudamis), Cydamus: the Pearl of The Libyan Sahara, Temehu, A permanent Roman garrison was established during the reign of Septimius Severus, and the emperor may have visited the settlement around AD 202.Birley, Anthony R. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. London: Routledge. (2000) [1971]. pg 147. However, the Romans withdrew from the area a few decades later during the Crisis of the Third Century.During the 6th century, a bishop lived in the oasis, after the population had been converted to Christianity by Byzantine missionaries. It became a stronghold of the Donatist heresy until its conquest by Muslim Arabs.During the late 7th century, Ghadames was ruled by the Muslim Arabs. The population quickly converted to Islam and Ghadames played an important role as base for the Trans-Saharan trade until the 19th century.The 12th century geographer Abu Hamid al-Gharnati included Ghadamis among the countries of Sudan (i.e., countries of black people), a hypothesis that Saad considers possible, as Ghadamis always had settlers representing him in Timbuktu.BOOK, Saad, Elias N., 1983, Social History of Timbuktu: The Role of Muslim Scholars and Notables 1400–1900, Cambridge University Press, 8-9, 0-521-24603-2,

Etymology

The etymology of the name Ghadames is very closely linked with its history. It is believed that the name Ghadames is originally connected to the name of the ancient Berber tribe of Tidamensi, a tribe from Fezzan. It is also believed that the name Tidamensi was corrupted by the invading Romans to form the name Cydamus, which in turn gave way to the name Ghadames.

1900s–present

In October 1911, shortly after the Italo-Turkish War broke out, Ghadames was occupied by Italian soldiers marching from Tripoli. However, Italy's hold on the city was interrupted several times until June 1915, when a general rising throughout Libya caused the Italian garrison to retreat from Ghadames to the stronghold of Tripoli. Effective control over the city was restored in December 1918, but rebellion throughout Fezzan kept Ghadames in a state of emergency until 1923.In 1943, Free French forces occupied Ghadames and its surrounding area in the southern part of the former Italian colony of Libya, forming the Military Territory of Fezzan-Ghadames until Libyan independence in 1951. Ghadames was made the territory's capital during this time.In the 1970s, the government built new houses outside of the old part of the town. However, many inhabitants return to the old part of the town during the summer, as its architecture provides better protection against the heat.That same time, director Moustapha Akkad chose Ghadames as a filming location for interior scenes of the city of Medina in The Message, an Islamic epic drama film.During the Libyan Civil War, National Transitional Council forces entered the town on 30 August 2011,{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} which had been under siege by NTC forces since the beginning of the conflict. Until 2011, the city was under control by independent Tuareg troops.Libya: what about the south? The Guardian, 24 August 2011 After being captured by the Libyan National Army, the entire Tuareg community was forced to flee in an act of ethnic cleansing.WEB,weblink Libyan Tuaregs Flee to Algeria Amid Reports of Ethnic Cleansing, 2017-10-17,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171018072443weblink">weblink 2017-10-18, dead, WEB,weblink Libyan Tuareg face reprisals, Justin, Marozzi, 18 September 2011, www.bbc.com,

Old Town of Ghadames

{{Expand section|date=March 2011}}The old town, inscribed in 1986 as a UNESCO World Heritage site, was de-populated of its inhabitants throughout the 1990s, leaving the old buildings at risk of collapse due to a lack of maintenance.The World Heritage Newsletter, No.9, December 1995. It has been listed on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 2016 among four other sites in Libya, because of damage caused by the Libyan Civil War affecting the country and the threat of further damage it poses.WEB,weblink Libya's five World Heritage sites put on List of World Heritage in Danger, UNESCO World Heritage, Centre, whc.unesco.org,

Gallery

Image:Libya Ghadames Old Town Inside of small dwelling.JPG|Inside view of a small dwellingImage:Libya Ghadames Old Town Rooftop View.JPG|Old Town Rooftop ViewImage:Libya Ghadames Old Town Spring Water Pool.JPG|Old Town Spring Water Pool Image:Libya Ghadames Old Town Wall Entrance.JPG|Old Town Wall EntranceImage:Libya Ghadames Old Town Fruit Trees.JPG|Fruit Trees in the Old Town{{wide image|Ghadames Panorama April 2004.jpg|1200px|align-cap=center|View over the rooftops of the old town of Ghadames}}{{clear}}

See also

• Ghadames Museum
• Ghadames Airport
• List of cities in Libya

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

• BOOK, En Tripolitaine: Voyage a Ghadames,weblink Ghadames, Fontemoing, Paris, Edmond Bernet, 1912, fr,
• Lafi (Nora) "Ghadamès cité-oasis entre empire ottoman et colonisation"" in Federico Cresti (ed.), La Libia tra Mediterraneo e mondo islamico, Giuffrè, pp. 55–70, 2006

External links

{{Commons category|Ghadames}}{{EB1911 poster|Ghadames}}

• Falling Rain Genomics, Inc.: "Ghadamis, Libya"
• Azzouz, Intisar (1980) weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20060226194550weblink">"Ghadames, Libya" In Safran, Linda (ed) (1980) Places of Public Gathering in Islam: proceedings of seminar five in the series Architectural transformations in the Islamic world, held in Amman, Jordan, 4–7 May Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Philadelphia, {{OCLC|7208199}}; photographs of Ghadames.

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