Ghadames

This article is about the town. For the former district, see Ghadames District. For the language, see Ghadamès language. For the bug Cydamus, see Cydamus (bug).

Ghadames غدامس
Town
Clockwise from top: Ghadames Mosque, Old Town, Old Town street view
Interactive map of Ghadames
Ghadames Location in Libya
Coordinates: 30°8′N 9°30′E
Country	Libya
Region	Tripolitania
District	Nalut
Elevation	1,932 ft (589 m)
Population
• Estimate  (2011)	10,000
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
License Plate Code	17
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Old Town of Ghadamès
Type	Cultural
Criteria	v
Designated	1986
Reference no.	362
Region	Arab States

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Ghadames or Ghadamis /ɡəˈdæmɪs/ (Ghadamsi: ⵄⴰⴷⴻⵎⴻⵙ / Ɛadēməs [ʕadeːməs], Arabic: غدامس, Italian: Gadames) is an oasis town in the Nalut District of the Tripolitania region in northwestern Libya.

Ghadames, known as 'the pearl of the desert', stands in an oasis. It is one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities and an example of a traditional settlement. Its domestic architecture is characterized by a vertical division of functions: the ground floor used to store supplies; the first floor is 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.