Old Town Ghadamis

Old Town Ghadamis is located to the west of Libya. It is an oasis city and is also considered as “the pearl of the desert”. It is about 549 km from Tripoli southwest and it also shares its borders with Tunisia and Algeria.

The Ghadamis is also one of pre-Saharan oldest cities and has a fine example of art and architecture. The town has its history from the Roman period and during this period the town was known as “Cydamus”.

In the 6th century, a Bishop had resided here and the Byzantine missionaries had converted majority of the people to Christianity. In the 7th century the area fell into the hands of Muslim Arabs and the majority of the people were converted to Islam.

In the present day the Ghadamis is a major tourist and archaeological site. The city is bordered by a massive wall and has a population of 7000. The architecture of the homes in the city is a major attraction; it features passageways and open-air terraces that provide better cooling during the summers. Also the Ghadamis Old Town is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site for its constructions and ancient history.

Old Town Ghadamis