World Heritage Identification Number: 362
World Heritage since: 1986
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Historic Cities & Urban Areas
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇱🇾 Libya
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Arab States
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The Old Town of Ghadamès: A Timeless Oasis Pearl in the Heart of the Sahara
The Old Town of Ghadamès, nestled within the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert, is a testament to human resilience and ingenuity. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, this ancient city stands as a beacon of cultural preservation, showcasing a unique blend of pre-Saharan traditions and architectural innovations.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
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.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (v): Ghadamès is an outstanding settlement in the Saharan pre-desert renowned for its exceptional built heritage, erected thanks to long-lasting traditional practices resulting from the particular demands of the harsh climate. For at least 2,000 years, the city has played an important role in the trans-Saharan trade network. It has been a crossroads for the major cultures of the African continent and the Mediterranean basin, while also developing its own unique architecture and traditions related to its historic origins and subsequent interactions. The dwellings are outstanding in their design, combining form and function to create comfortable living spaces which allow gender segregation and privacy as well as communication beyond the household, in addition to protection from the desert winds and the thermal fluctuations typical of the desert climate. The balance between the inhabitants and the environment has been fundamental to the development of the city’s unique urban character, but is also an important factor in its vulnerability to human and climatic change.
Encyclopedia Record: Ghadames
Ghadames or Ghadamis is an oasis town in the Nalut District of the Tripolitania region in northwestern Libya.Additional Site Details
Area: 287.59 hectares
Number of Components: 1
Coordinates: 30.13333333 , 9.5
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No machine-readable author provided. Teogomez assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain
