Deep in the Libyan Sahara lies a city known as the “Pearl of the Desert” – built around an oasis that has been a haven for thousands of years.

Six hundred kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, caravans passed through the area, and once the source of water was found, people settled and the area flourished, becoming an economic center for the caravan trade linking all of Africa within the framework of the trans-Saharan network. .

On a recent reporting trip, we entered through one of the mud arches leading into the Old City and were greeted by birds singing, as if to say, “We’ve been waiting for you.

But, like the rest of Libya, all is not well for this city.

The old town of Ghadames is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but is now on the endangered species list.

We meet Abdullah Musa, a local journalist who heard we were in town. He explains that the decision was more than just a public relations issue.

“The people of Ghadames were surprised and suffered greatly by UNESCO’s decision to put the old city on its endangered species list,” Musa said.

The problem is that Ghadames relies heavily on tourism to support its local economy. Numerous meetings between local officials and UNESCO have taken place over the years, but it is unclear whether the decision will soon be reversed.

“European tourists would feel safer traveling to Ghadames if it was not on the list,” Musa said.

There were many of them here in this corner of the desert.

Khalid Alhaji, our tour guide, owns a cafe in the old town.

It is adorned with colorful traditional trinkets and antique tea kettles.

As he prepares our tea on a bed of embers, he beams with joy when he remembers and tells us about a time when business was going well.

“They came from Italy, France, Germany, all over Europe and even America. Americans are big tourists. They spend a lot,” he says, rubbing his thumb and index finger symbolizing money. But his smile disappears and he sighs, “now my coffee is empty”.

Thousands of foreign tourists used to come to visit, but for more than a decade instability and war in Libya have kept them away.

Once a thriving city, its narrow streets are now mostly deserted.

As you walk around you can feel the history. The old cracked walls hide between them the stories of a once flourishing people.

We arrive at the oasis, jewel in the crown of the city. Alhaji says the spring is at least 4,000 years old.

Ghasouf, as it is called, has been breathing life into the ancient city for centuries. Five water tunnels fed by the Ghasouf stretch throughout the old city, supplying homes, mosques and farms.

Everything in Ghadames is designed to alleviate the hardships of desert life, whether it’s water management or the long, dark alleyways that help keep residents cool.

The city remained through the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic empires. She survived, while all those empires disappeared. But it needs more attention and funding to get through the current conflict in Libya, and at the moment that’s not happening.

Forgotten city?

As we continue our tour of the old town, we come across an old school. It is painted white and shines in the sun.

In front, we are welcomed by Ibrahim Malik. He works for the Ghadames Urban Development Authority, responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the old city.

He pulls out a Libyan 20 dinar note and says “do you notice this place?”

A photo of the school is engraved on the back of the invoice.

“This girls’ school is one of the oldest in North Africa, and we recently renovated it,” Malik tells me. “But we have a lot of work to do, Ghadames is one of the oldest cities in the world, the preservation of the city is important for all of humanity. Not just Libya”.

Malik explains to me that all the historical sites in Libya suffer from a lack of attention, but Ghadames being in the middle of the desert deserves special attention.

“Officials in Libya have never prioritized tourism and we are suffering from a lack of funding. Every year we submit our budget proposal, but we only receive about one percent of what we request. We do what we can with the little we have. »

As we go deeper into the city with Alhaji, we come across a house that has collapsed due to the rains. The rubble is all that remains.

My face betrays my sadness, but I am quickly told that there is much worse.

We cross long winding streets through the old town. Sometimes it’s so dark that we have to turn on our flashlights on our phones to see where we’re walking.

From a doorway into the sunlight, we came to an open space in front of the Ghasouf.

We see a group of houses that have been completely razed. “These houses were hit by an airstrike in 1943 [during World War II] – not a single government since then has thought of renovating these houses.

It’s a bitter reminder that not everything can be rebuilt after the war, a somber message to ponder when considering Libya’s coastal towns that have been and still are contested in recent years.

Our tour guide, Alhaji, speaks for many Libyans when he says he just hopes for stability.

“I’m optimistic for the future,” he says. “But I hope after all these years people haven’t forgotten about us.”