Local traditions and culture in Libya

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The doors in the islamic world has often a symbolic value or sign
Picture 1 : My husband went to mecca, this picture was taken in Ghadames, small leather circle naps in the color of Ghadames City ( red yellow and green)
Picture 2 : Knock one time, this is a man, knock three times, it will be a female.
Sence : The lady of the house can take precautions to hide her face in case it is a male visitor.

Islamic tradition and rule - no alcoholic drinks !
In the meanwhile i've been to some Arabic countries, from the west to the east, not mentioning the name.
In many of this islamic countries you can have an alcoholic drink, but as far as i know, NOT in Libya or in Saudi Arabia- forget it.
Nevertheless i pictured this bottle of 5%A Beck's beer brewed in Italy, and became suspicious.
At the end i was satisfied, as it seems that the bottle was more than probaly jumped by an italian group, routing and transit in their 4wd car, searching for another adventure in the desert.

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During my stay in Ghadames (end of october) the inhabitants were preparing the famous "Date harvest festival" Many people are visiting the market place next to the Mosque
in the new town.
We had the occasion to see the dancers preparing their show. The music is special.
Pitty the performers didn't wear the traditional cloths.

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Culture guidance : I was a little bit surprised to see so many shops in Tripoli and Benghazi selling nice and modern women clothes. Bought by woman entering the shop in traditional islamic clothes (head shawl). The guide told us : women in Libya pleases their husband behind closed doors. I accept this tradition, in islamic countries

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Eating in Libya, definately not a culinary trip
Daily, sometimes twice
- A so called "Libyan soup" (Spicy tomatosoup with local vegtables)
- Bread in different tastes
- Water 'a volonté' and a soft drink for free. NA drinks to be paid (Becks beer 2LD)
- An entrance of local vegtables
- Most of the time Couscous with chicken, fresh fish, lamb or camel meat
- Mint tea

The third man. (We called him Orson Welles - A security officer of the regime)
It is a Libyan custom to appoint a so called security officer accompanying the group of tourists
from the beginning of the tour till the end. On the bus, in the hotels, on all sites
He rarely speaks english - but at the end, he is oké

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All over Tripolitania, in the centre of Tripoli as much as in the small villages of the Jebel Nafusa, you will see men, young and old, wrapped toga-like in thick white woollen blankets. Handwoven - usually by a mother or a wife - they measure some two and a half metres, and they will last a lifetime. Warm in winter, supposedly cool in summer - they are as distinctively a Berber tradition as the face-veiling turban of the Tuareg of the desert.
The Tuareg turban, 9 metres or more of fine cotton, wound around and around the head and brought across the bottom of the face - the Tuareg are the only men in the world to go veiled - is more likely these days to be made of fabric imported from China or India ( or, as I noticed printed on the edge as a man rewound his turban , Thailand) than the traditional indigo-dyed cloth that stained the faces blue - that's the global economy for you, and blue denim often replaces flowing embroidered robes on all but high days and holidays but there are still men who dress traditionally, Berber or Tuareg.

Walking through the old town in Ghadames, every now and then you will pass a door decorated with small red, green and gold rosettes. This is a local tradition that marks the occupier's completion of the Haj. Some are old and faded - others bright and new indicating a recent journey.