A Topographical Study of the Urban Features of Ghadames, Libya

Due to its strategic location connecting North Africa to Cairo in Egypt, and Timbuktu in Mali, the old town of Ghadames has long been regarded as one of the most significant cultural and commercial centers of the Sahara Desert. Ghadames has several distinctive topographical characteristics, and its vernacular architecture is unique in terms of material use and urban morphology that has a sustainable living quality which provided the community with its own privacy and way of life. This thesis will examine the urban fabric of Ghadames by conducting a historical and analytical study that will focus on the Urban morphology. This study seeks to comprehend the circumstances that led to the organic formation of the town. It will also study the cultural identity of its inhabitants and the interaction patterns of its population.