The Jewel of the Sahara

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ghadames is the Berber pearl of the Saharan oases, located near the Libyan-Algerian border. It was one of the busiest ancient caravan towns in the whole of the Sahara desert. The name Ghadames has nothing to do with the fake etymology and the popular myth of  “ghadana ames” (‘where we had lunch yesterday ’), as it can be easily connected with Tidamensi, the name of an ancient Berber tribe, belonging to classical Phazania (Fezzan).

Fezzan is a Garamantic country, which Pliny associates with the ethnic group Phazanii, south of Syrtis Major, and to whom he attributes the towns of Alele , Cillaba, and Cydamus, the latter of which is today's Ghadames.  Hence it is evident that the Romans derived their Cydamus from local Tidamensi. Tidamensi > Cydamus > Gadamus > Ghadames.

The labyrinthine passages and streets of the Old Town have roofs, just like its houses, to protect from the scorching heat of the sun, and to keep it cool during the summer and warm in the winter. The roof of the city itself is almost like another city, with streets and lanes, exclusively used by women, to move from one house to another and from one area to the other. The interiors of the houses are uniquely decorated with intricate Berber designs, using red paint on white walls, and decorated with hanging brass and copper ornaments; giving the rooms a vibrant and fascinating atmosphere, which makes Ghadames truly unique.