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Wadi Al-Kuf (Al-Kouf)

 

wadi al kuf caves

A view of some of the natural caves in the Valley of Caves.

 

Location of Wadi Al-Kuf

The valley is located in a fertile area in the Green Mountain (al-Jabal al-Akhdar), in Cyrenaica. At approximately 8 kilometres long the valley runs from west to east direction. This without a doubt must have been a prehistoric city of caves, inhabited by ancient Libyan tribes. Nothing much is known about these sites, but future research hopefully will shed more light on this unique valley. The nearby Haua Fteah Cave, discovered by McBurney in 1950s, is currently being investigated by the Cyrenaican Prehistory Project. The Wadi al-Kuf caves were used by the Libyan resistance hero Omar al-Mukhtar during the Italian occupation of Libya (see below for more details).

 

Wadi Al-Kuf Bridge

Wadi al-Kuf Bridge (جسر وادي الكوف ) is found about 20 kilometres west of Albayda, in Cyrenaica's Green Mountain, Eastern Libya. The project began in 1967, based on a design by the Italian civil engineer Riccardo Morandi, and was completed in 1972.

wadi al kuf
Wadi Al-Kuf Bridge

 

 

Omar (Umar) Al-Mukhtar Cave

During the colonial occupation of Libya the caves were used by the Libyan resistance as a hiding place and as a fighting base, including the elderly Omar al-Mukhtar himself, the leader of the Libyan resistance during the Italian period. The fierce resistance of the Libyans eventually lead the colonials to wage war against the entire region, using their superior machinery to exterminate nearly a quarter of the Libyan population. After the capture of Omar Almukhtar in 1931 and his subsequent execution at the age of 70 in front of his followers inside one of the concentration camps, the resistance continued.  The Libyan hero was immortalised by Anthony Quinn in "The Lion of The Desert".

 

the cave of umar al mukhtar
The Cave of Umar Al-Mukhtar: a view from inside the cave.

 

umar al mukhtar interior view of the cave
The Cave of Umar Al-Mukhtar

view from inside the cave of umar al mukhtar
The Memorial of Umar Al-Mukhtar as seen from inside the cave.

umar al mukhtar memorial building
The Memorial of Umar Al-Mukhtar

Umar al Moukhtar memorial
The Memorial of Umar Al-Mokhtar near the cave.

 

Other Cyrenaican Caves

The Vertical Cave of Cyrene:
https://www.temehu.com/Cities_sites/the_big_hole_of_cyrene.htm

Haua Fteah Cave:
https://www.temehu.com/Cities_sites/haua-fteah-cave.htm

 

 

The Village of Umar Almukhtar

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The village of  Umar al-Mukhtar is located in the District of al-Jabal al-Akhdar in Cyrenaica, Eastern Libya. It was named in honour of the Libyan resistance leader Umar Almukhtar, also known as Omar Almokhtar. The village was previously known as Mameli.