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Luchonda Says: Berber culture, so interesting how they survived and struggled for live, how they protected themselves against the many invaders
grets Says: Built in the last part of the 12th century, the granary has 114 storage rooms, the same number as verses in the Koran, although some of the rooms are sub-divided into smaller areas for various types of crops. The storage cells are still in use. The fact that the granary is...
grets Says: Just after you have gone through the entrance gate, there are two large alcoves which used to house the gatekeepers who would guard these precious goods. Now there is a display of agricultural and household items, including a couple of enormous door latches.
Troglodyte Lodge: Going underground
grets Says: In the village of Rayehbet, we stayed in a traditional troglodyte lodge, now converted to tourist accommodation. There were six rooms in total, and two seperate bathrooms for male and female. A dining room served traditional Berber food. The lodge was built into the side of...
Roadside café: Bring your own or buy there
grets Says: We stopped at a roadside café for lunch, where we had the choice of bringing our own picnic (provided we bought a drink, they were happy for us to eat our own stuff in the café), or purchase one of their snacks. Mostly it was rolls with tuna or cheese which was available,...
Troglodyte Lodge: Traditional fare
grets Says: The food was included in the stay at the troglodyte lodge, and was taken in the main building. We were served some local specialities such as dolmas (stuffed cabbage leaves), little folded pasrties filled with meat, very crispy, overcooked by tasty lamb, and some potato...
Helpfulness
Waiting for dinner to be served, we were sitting around in the courtyard reading and chatting. It was bloody cold!
Dress Code: We followed the lead of the locals and wrapped ourselves in blankets. It is amazing what a difference the blankets made, they were almost wind proof and did keep us relatively warm. Maybe not the latest fashion statement here in the UK though. Do you think it'll catch on?
Written Mar 12, 2005
grets Says: The production of olive oil is a major part of the local economy. Mostly it is produced in the time old way, with these traditional olive presses as this one seen in Gharyan.
grets Says: All along the road we saw local Berber men wearing these blankets against the cold. With the biting wind, it is easy to see why!This chap was the caretaker of the Granary at Qasr al Hajj.
grets Says: On the way to Qasr al Hajj, we drove through a severe sandstorm, reducing visibility to a mere 10 metres. The sand would blow across the road, causing dunes to appear, making for very hazardous driving conditions. The sand is not good for contact lens wearers or cameras....
grets Says: Libya in general has a major problem with the disposal of its garbage, and we found it particularly bad a round this region. It appears that people just chick all their rubbish out of the car window - not just what they have at the time, but I am sure they must bring all...
grets Says: Also known as Tormisa and Tarmeisa, this ancient and abandoned stone village is perched on a spectacular and narrow rocky outcrop overlooking the Sahel al-Jefara.There was once a draw bridge guarding the entrance to the town over a narrow 'isthmus' in the rock. The town was...
grets Says: Barren and stark, desert scenery is nevertheless beautiful. We travelled high into mountainous area, where deep wadis and valleys punctuate the landscape.
grets Says: The area surrounding the village of Gharyan is known throught Libya for its pottery. All along the road there were stalls selling pots in various shapes and sizes. behind the raod you could see the kilns and great big heaps of pots.
grets Says: Along the side of the road from Tripoli to Qasr al Hajj we saw many camels grazing on the sparce vegetation in the desert. They looked just right here in the sandstorm!
A qasr (the word means castle) is an ancient circular, fortified granary, completely enclosed, Berber architecture at its finest and an excellent insight into their way of life. Qasr al-Haj has the......
The way from Tripoli to Ghadames, by bus, is long (500km), but believe me you will be able to visit some intermediate places, my first contact with the Berberian traditions was Quasr Al-Hajj. One of a...
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