![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Ghadames_Mosque.jpg/640px-Ghadames_Mosque.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Ghadames
Town in Tripolitania, Libya / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the town. For the former district, see Ghadames District. For the language, see Ghadamès language. For the bug Cydamus, see Cydamus (bug).
Ghadames or Ghadamis /ɡəˈdæmɪs/ (Ghadamsi: ⵄⴰⴷⴻⵎⴻⵙ / Ɛadēməs [ʕadeːməs], Arabic: غدامس, Italian: Gadames) is an oasis town in the Nalut District of the Tripolitania region in northwestern Libya.
Quick Facts غدامس, Country ...
Ghadames
غدامس | |
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Town | |
Clockwise from top: Ghadames Mosque, Old Town, Old Town street view | |
Coordinates: 30°8′N 9°30′E | |
Country | ![]() |
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. | [3] |
Region | Arab States |
Close
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.[4]