Gadames

Ghadames غدامس ʕademis (Berber)
Town
Clockwise from top: Ghadames Mosque, Old Town, Old Town street view
Ghadames Location in Libya
Coordinates: 30°8′N 9°30′E / 30.133°N 9.500°E / 30.133; 9.500Coordinates: 30°8′N 9°30′E / 30.133°N 9.500°E / 30.133; 9.500
Country	Libya
Region	Tripolitania
Municipality	Ghadames
Elevation	1,080 ft (330 m)
Population (2011)
• Total	approx. 10,000
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Old Town of Ghadamès
Type	Cultural
Criteria	v
Designated	1986
Reference no.	[1]
State Party	Libya
Region	Arab States

Ghadames or Ghadamis /ɡəˈdæmᵻs/ (Berber: ʕademis; Arabic: غدامس‎‎ ɣadāmis, Libyan vernacular: ɣdāməs, Latin: Cidamus, Cydamus) is an oasis Berber town in the Nalut District of the Tripolitania region in northwestern Libya.

The indigenous language of Ghadames is Ghadamès, a Berber language.

Ghadamès, known as 'the pearl of the desert', stands in an oasis. It is one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities and an outstanding example of a traditional settlement. Its domestic architecture is characterized by a vertical division of functions: the ground floor used to store supplies; then another floor for the family, overhanging covered alleys that create what is almost an underground network of passageways; and, at the top, open-air terraces reserved for the women.

Ghadames lies roughly 462 km (287 mi) to the southwest of Tripoli, near the borders with Algeria and Tunisia. Ghadames borders Illizi Province, Algeria and Tataouine Governorate, Tunisia.

The oasis has a population of around 10,000, mainly Berbers. The old part of the town, which is surrounded by a city wall, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Each of the seven clans that used to live in this part of the town had its own district, of which each had a public place where festivals could be held.