Gadamama, known as the “Pearl of the Desert”, is in an oasis in the south-west of Libya (the historical region of Tripoli). This is one of the oldest cities on the border of Sahara and an outstanding example of a traditional settlement.
The population of the city is about 10,000 people, mainly Berber, who live in traditional houses of clay, bricks and palm trees, closely grouped as bees. The local residential architecture is characterized by a division of functions by vertical: the first floor is used to store stocks, the next floor is for the family’s life and, finally, an open terrace intended for women is upstairs. Terras are connected by transitions that allow women to move freely, remaining hidden from male eyes.
Having the shape of a circle, the ancient city of Gadamama is a close accumulation of houses. The fortified external walls of houses along the edges of the city form a fortress wall. This city fence here and there is violated by numerous doors and bastions.
Gadamama is an ancient city. The first references to him date back to the Romanesque period, when the settlement was known as Cidamus-a fortress city built in the first century BC.
None of the surviving buildings belongs to the early Berber period or the period of the ancient Romans. Nevertheless, the remarkable style of residential architecture distinguishes Gadamama from other North African cities and settlements stretching along the northern border of Sahara from Libya to Mauritania.
See also:
Libyan desert Bashar Shglilla
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