The Libyan oasis city of Ghadamès known as the
'pearl of the desert', because of its bright white lime washed
walls. It is one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities and a
living example of the vernacular architecture for the region,
its climate and natural resources. The city is roughly
circular in layout, a cluster of houses with defensive outer
walls. [see video above]
The basic units of the city
are its houses which have at least two main floors. Access to a
home is by a single entrance door which opens onto a
narrow hallway leading to a rectangular shaped room where
provisions are stored. At the back of the room a staircase leads
to the spacious family living area. The ground-level living space
is surrounded by the city's many covered passageways which open
onto the city forming arcades rather than open streets.
The first floor generally includes a raised attic
and bedrooms, and sometimes a sitting-room. The terraces have
projecting towers formed by the raised attics in the roof. The
open-air terraces are reserved for women allowing communication
between terraces to make friends with neighbours and move about
the city. The covered arcades at ground level are generally
reserved for men.
The entire city is made from either rammed earth
or adobe with limestone, woodwork and palm-wood forming a
labyrinth of enclosed lime washed streets with ventilation holes
that maintain a cool space in the summer and warm in the freezing
winters. Lime-washing of the
walls inside and in the large outdoor areas brightens the rooms
and highlights the colourful windows and niches. Ghadames is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. |