Ghadames
Ghadames or Ghadamis /ɡəˈdæmɪs/ (Berber: ʕadémis; Arabic: غدامس, Libyan vernacular: ɣdāməs, Latin: Cidamus, Cydamus, Italian: Gadames) is an oasis Berber town in the Nalut District of the Tripolitania region in northwestern Libya.
Ghadames
ʕadémis (Berber) | |
|---|---|
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 |
| Region | Tripolitania |
| District | Nalut |
| Elevation | 1,932 ft (589 m) |
| Population | |
| • Estimate (2011) | 10,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| License Plate Code | 17 |
| Official name | Old Town of Ghadamès |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | v |
| Designated | 1986 |
| Reference no. | |
| Region | Arab States |
The indigenous language of Ghadames is Ghadamès, a Berber language.
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.