Ghat, Libya
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Ghat ⵖⴰⵜ (Berber) غات (Arabic) |
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| Town | |
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 Ghat
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| Coordinates: 24°57′52″N 10°10′41″E / 24.96444°N 10.17806°ECoordinates: 24°57′52″N 10°10′41″E / 24.96444°N 10.17806°E | |
| Country |
 Libya
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| Region | Fezzan |
| District | Ghat |
| Elevation | 2,192 ft (668 m) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 22,000 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
Ghat (Berber: ⵖⴰⵜ; Arabic: غات Ġāt) is the capital of the Ghat District in the Fezzan region of southwestern Libya.
In historical times, Ghat was an important terminal point on a trans-Saharan trade route and a major administrative center in the Fezzan. It was a stronghold for the Kel Ajjer Tuareg federation whose territory covered most of south-western Libya - including Ubari, Sabha and Ghadames, plus south-eastern Algeria (Djanet and Illizi).
From the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD, the Fezzan was home to the Garamantian Empire, a city state which operated the Trans-Saharan trade routes between the Carthaginians—and later the Roman Empire—and the Sahelian states of West and Central Africa. During the 13th and 14th century, portions of the Fezzan were part of the Kanem Empire, while the Ottoman rulers of North Africa asserted their control over the region in the 17th century.
Beginning in 1911, Ghat and the Fezzan were occupied by Italy. Berber and Arab adherents to a militant Sufi religious order, the Sanusiya, resisted early Italian attempts at conquest, and Italy's control of the region was precarious until at least 1923, with the rise of the Italian Fascist regime. To defend their positions, the Italians built a fortress that dominates the city from the hill of Koukemen. This fort is still standing, and is a tourist attraction of the city.
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Wikipedia