Ghadames
Once upon a time deep in the Sahara an ancient city lived under a spell defended by high walls and tens of triangular rooftop crenellations. A deep silence held in the narrow streets, the caravans from remote sudan no longer came. The story could continue with cliches of white robed figures and hot winds blowing over the oasis. The desert ghost town, Ghadames is real enough however famous among architecture lovers as a place perfectly adapted to a harsh environment.

Ghadames is 640 km southwest of Tripoli. There are at least two buses a day from Tripoli, passing via Nalut. Ghadames is very much the legendary oasis town, even though the population has moved out of the labyrinthine old town into new modern housing areas. Exploring the twon and oasis is a pleasant day, and with four wheel drive could do a day trip out to the dunes.
Located close the point where the international frontiers of Libya, Algeria and Tunisia join, modern Ghadames has an estimated population of around 10000. The residential area is divided into the old and new towns. The old town is situated within the oasis whereas the new town has been built on the dry slopes above the oasis. The old town has been uninhabited since 1986. The old town has not been simply abandoned and still plays an important role in the life of the inhabitants. In hottest days of the summer, the inhabitants of the new city return to their original quarters in search of shade and cool.
Tourism is gaining importance and Ghadames now has a three day tourist festival held annually in October to coincide with the date harvest. There are displays of local traditions and horsemanship.
From a difficult natural environment, the old Ghadames created perfect living conditions for isolated settlement in a harsh natural environment. The houses, built of pise bricks, lime, palm tree trunks and fronds, the only available building materials are elegant and practical. Built on two stories they have a central room of the first floor acting as a kind of courtyard with all the rooms leading off it. The rooms are lit by an ingenious hole in the high ceiling letting in sunlight that reflects off the white walls and provides sufficient illumination. The upper floors are supported by palm tree trunks covered with fronds and mud.