Libya… deep heart
The images of the pristine and refreshing Mediterranean waters would disperse as if they were an elusive mirage. Temples, amphitheatres, columns of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire are diluted by our rearview mirror and become a memorable keepsake when the compass of our southbound vehicle indicates a much more arid landscape and atmosphere hottest intensely. We must not forget that the 90% Libya's surface is pure desert. Let's open this door.
Nafusa Mountains, south of the capital, is the middle path that takes us into the Sahara. Kleba, Jade, Yefren or precious and embedded Al Galah, are old towns that host unusual troglodyte houses abandoned by locals, hit by bad weather. Entering through the heart of Libya see parading old silos entrenched in hills, walled medinas, lonely white mosques centennial…
Entering through the heart of Libya see parading old silos entrenched in hills, walled medinas, lonely white mosques centennial…
The capital of the Jebel Nafusa, Nalut, about 250 km. Tripoli, puts us in the main core of the Berber people, the indigenous inhabitants of Libyan territory where still preserved their traditions and their language. Perched atop a rocky ledge overlooking spectacular, has built an impressive ksar ago 300 years. As a medieval castle, This fortified granary, emerges from the top of the hill and dominates the vast plain stretching their feet. This fort stacked and staggered cubicles were stored grain and oil to protect it from bandits and was the watchtower and defense for the entire area.
Leaving behind the undulating jebel, our wheels are stroking the captivating desert mantle. The road gets lonely, more sterile field and more sporadic urban. With this grim place we approach Dirj, we'll begin the first major stretch of desert pure and simple GPS based. Be a minimum of 600 Km. Tracks with lots of sand without power refueling, consumption soars in the sand and we have to consider many extra miles if we lose. We filled the tank and the five drums that we as reinforcement. Nor let our water containers millimeter untapped; assumes that there are water wells but should not rely, if they are dry or can not locate.
Arena, stone hamadas, cut, jebels and rocks are alternated until the first well: Bir Rimit. Its water tank sits above the sparse and dry terrain and caters well to humans and animals. We do not trust a lot and just fill the drums we use for grooming.
When the wind blows, sand as the sun creates curtains finishes mercilessly slaughter.
During our utterly barren road we reached an important milestone that indicates that we are on the right track: the strategic airfield built in the Italian 1927, a few meters from the well Bir Gazeil, unfortunately already dry. When the wind blows, sand as the sun creates curtains finishes mercilessly slaughter. With the decline, everything calms down and a breeze makes camping are enjoyable.
After three days exploring lands that were the scene of the adventures of Italians decades ago, surpassed a front dunes indicates that we have entered the desert Fezzan.
Reach-oasis town of Brak tells us return to civilization. The goal was to get as was after several days of GPS navigation. We welcome his old Ottoman castle, it still retains its solid appearance with numerous pockets and guns stationed at the door. At his side, the old medina, now a ghost town, and a little beyond… Fuel and fresh water! Finally!
We are faced with a mysterious culture that even today is still under study. Little is known of their origin and nothing about her disappearance.
Our first discovery of Fezzan is Garama. An oasis tucked between dunes and jebels that became the heart of the Empire Garamante, a civilization for a thousand years was the mistress of this vast expanse of land. An empire which enjoyed an importance and power that some compare to the Egyptian Empire. We are faced with a mysterious culture that even today is still under study. Little is known of their origin and nothing about her disappearance. Its cities and towns organized a solid state possessed written language, advanced technologies and a complex irrigation system that generated great wealth; pioneering new routes across the Sahara with its city-oasis.
Exploring Garama and surrounding states is the magnitude of his people by the remains of its huge system of underground channels that can be found along the Wadi al-Hayat, the Valley of Life- and that supplied water to this enigmatic civilization. After his disappearance, the place was occupied by successive peoples and even the Romans came to this city his empire making it the key to the Saharan trade routes. Today you can still roam this city ghost adobe, on its walls, the streets or in their strong; as a huge termite fragile that still stands and refuses to disappear. From the ancient capital of Garamantes, escorted by a massive dunes, we entered the Awbari desert.
The subsoil water hides a treasure unattainable and explodes on the surface like a miracle of lush greenery.
In this infinite ocean of sand and solitude, hides underground water as an unattainable treasure and explodes on the surface like a miracle of lush greenery. Sapphires are set into a turquoise vegetation, springing from an infinite waves of dunes that seem insurmountable. The progress is very complicated but stubbornly, prudence and some other very violent fall from the top of some dunes, we reached each of those pearls.
The indigo flash Mahfou, the breath of life amid so vast arid, be the first string of oasis nourished brimming with life-giving water on the inhospitable surface that surrounds. The oasis of Gabr'oun is even greater, really awesome, and shows in its margins an old town, now abandoned, due to the difficult accessibility of the site. When we come to this garden baffles us a sudden sea smell is everywhere, especially when we are in the desert… but has a peculiar explanation. Because concentrated salinity in this lake, A tiny prawn has been developed that has been widely used by the women of the Dawada tribe to make various dishes. Tribe that until very recently inhabited these beautiful but harsh landscapes.
Beyond… Mandara oases, whose waters come and go seasonally, and Umm el Maa, more often but more cozy and romantic, highlighted in this extraordinary circuit of countless small Edens Sahara that, through a real rollercoaster natural giant dunes, we imbibe of lush beauty and intense emotions.
