Libya Part 3: Ghadamis

After two long days on the road, we finally reached Ghadames.  The most notable thing about the non Unesco part of the city is that there are so many new buildings here.  We were told by our guide that in an effort to protect Ghadames, the government moved all of the locals into new housing in the 70s. To the government's dismay, the new apartment style housing did not protect from the heat the way that Old Ghadames city does and the locals usually move back into their old houses in Ancient Ghadames city during the summer months.  And this is why this city is so cool.  Even with modern day technology and architecture, it does not stand up to the ancient buildings where the berber people had already discovered the best way to cope with the hot desert weather. 

A typical corridor- palm tree trunks, thick mud walls and lots of shade

It's easy to understand why Ghadames is on the UNESCO world heritage list. The architecture, shape and art work of this place is really one of a kind.  When entering Ghadames, there are a few characteristics that become obvious. The first is how the temperature immediately drops the moment you walk into the gates of the city.  The second is the white lime washed walls. The third is that every wall is connected.  In essence, this city is one gigantic organism.  With the exception of the hotel where Sophia Loren stayed in while filming The Road to Timbuktu,  you can literally walk the entire city from the roof tops. 

 It is said that the reason for this is because the roof tops was reserved for woman and children as they were not normally allowed in the lower corridors of the city. The last characteristic is the triangular and step like roof top forms that hug every corner/ edge of the city.  this triangular form is the same form found on the painted walls of the houses that hug the window sills.  It is said that this triangular form is typical of their berber designs. While in Ghadames, we visited numerous traditional houses, took a tour on the roof tops and had a camel stew lunch in one of the traditional homes.

Just outside of the city walls, you will find a small tourist center where one can find traditional berber arts.  Here a father son team work on leather making traditional leather moccasins.  Brightly decorated and again with the triangular forms, they resonate the traditional berber art forms that were repeated in the homes inside Ghadames. 

I'm not sure what the state of Ghadames is today- it's said that there was concern over the upkeep of the ancient city during the revolution.  I hope that it is still being maintained and restored as it is truly the "pearl" of the desert- an oasis with a beautiful organic past.