Lost in Time...

After my trip to the States flew back into Libya with two of our very dear friends to begin a ten day Libyan Extravaganza.

Our first excursion was a three day road trip to Ghadames. This is quite a long drive so we stopped off at some sights on the way. Qasr al-Haj was the first place. The Berber structure was built in the 12th Century as a place to store grain harvested in the local area (Thanks Lonely Planet!). I had seen photos of it before, but was still taken back at the beauty of the building.

The exterior of Qasr-al-Haj

Inside...

Nalut which is located on the western end of the Jebel Nafusa (Nafusa Mountains) and also has a Berber granary.

Looking up to the Berber Granary at Nalut - it is positioned on top of steep hill (good for defence!!)

Ruins of the old town

Inside the Granary

We arrived in Ghadames in the evening. The next morning we had a guided tour through the old town of Ghadames – a UNESCO world heritage site and a must for any visitor to Libya. The town has a long history – it is believed that there have been people living in the area since at least 3000BC. The old city that can be seen today was probably founded around 800 years ago and people only stopped living there in the late 1980’s – the government built a new town alongside with more modern facilities. However, families still own their houses in the old city and go back regularly, especially in summer as it is much cooler. This is because the mud brick city has been built with covered walkways and public meeting spaces so that people can get around without having to expose themselves tot he harsh sun too much. It was quite warm the day we were there and you could really fwel how cool the city was compare to outside. The city also incorporates small gardens, fields and orchards to supply the citizens with fresh food. There is also a natural spring from which fresh water flows. Words can not really describe how beautiful the old city is and the photos only give a small view of what it is like.

Heading in...

A rooftop view

The all important date palms

Covered walkways:

A hand imprint in the wall to ward off evil

A man selling his wares
Just beautiful...

A shady courtyard Inside a traditional house - where we had a mighty fine lamb and cous cous lunch

The next day we headed back to Tripoli, via Kabaw which also has a sensational Berber granary.

Our Ghadames trip was just stunning - it is a very special part of Libya and we enjoyed it very much. It is quite humbling to see places that have been around for thousands of years and are still a very important part of the local culture and identity.

Sahara Gal