Ghadames

Ghadames or Ghadamis /ɡəˈdæmɪs/ (Arabic: غدامس) is an oasis town in the Nalut District of the Tripolitania region in northwestern Libya.

Ghadames
غدامس
Town
Clockwise from top:
Ghadames Mosque, Old Town, Old Town street view
Ghadames
Location in Libya
Coordinates: 30°8′N 9°30′E
Country Libya
RegionTripolitania
DistrictNalut
Elevation
1,932 ft (589 m)
Population
  Estimate 
(2011)
10,000
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
License Plate Code17
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official nameOld Town of Ghadamès
TypeCultural
Criteriav
Designated1986
Reference no.
RegionArab States

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.

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