Author(s)

A. Abufuyed

Abstract

The Old City of Ghadames: an epitome of desert environment engineering A. Abufayed Chief Technical Advisor/Project Manager Project for the Rehabilitation of the Old City of Ghadames UNDP/UNOPS/High Authority for Tourism and Antiquities, Libya Abstract The Old City of Ghadames (OCG), one of Libya's major desert cities and a world heritage site, played an important role as a cultural and trade center between the Mediterranean and Africa for over 1400 years. This role was enforced largely by the city's sustainability that was the product of highly developed desert environment engineering practices. The objective of this paper is to analyze these practices and demonstrate their effectiveness in light of the present challenges to the city's sustainability. The city's urban planning, architecture and adobe construction were perfect adaptations to social needs, religious values, resource limitations, harsh environmental conditions and remote location. Planning was conducted on the levels of the oasis

Keywords