Sunday 25 January 2015

Traditional Painted Ghadames house's of Libya

Interior decoration, traditional Ghadames house

source
Ghadames Interior

 Aren't these interiors just wonderful and so unique? These are interiors of properties in Ghadames, a protected heritage site in Libya. The city is known as 'The Pearl of the desert" due to its bright white washed walls

Ghadames is said to be the oldest habitable Medina in the entire Sahara, with evidence going back to the Paleolithic period. One of the main features of the old town is the fact that it is built entirely out of mud and is completely covered, except for small ventilation holes found occasionally along its dark lanes and labyrinthine passages and streets. This ancient design has a good reason to be invented in the Sahara: the mud houses maintain a cool town in the summer and warm habitat in the freezing winter nights.

 The interiors of the houses are uniquely painted with intricate Berber designs, using red paint on white walls, and decorated with hanging ornaments; giving the rooms a vibrant and fascinating atmosphere, which makes Ghadames truly unique. The traditional Berber designs used include the triangle, the diamond, the sun, the moon, the palm, the eye, the hand, and the Tuareg cross. The objects used to decorate the rooms include mirrors, ornaments made of palm straw (such as food covers), brass and copper, and Berber carpets, rugs and cushions.

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

These are so beautiful - now Libya's on my list of places to visit.

Laura Morrigan said...

Wow, they are amazing!