Editing Ghat, Libya

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|official_name          = Ghat
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'''Ghat''' ({{langx|ar|غات}}) is the capital of the [[Ghat District]] in the [[Fezzan]] region of southwestern [[Libya]], located just east of the [[Algeria]]n [[Algeria–Libya border|border]].

[[File:Map Djanet-Ghat.jpg|thumb|Topographic map of the Algerian-Libyan border with Ghat in the center]]

==History==
In historical times, Ghat was an important terminal point on a [[trans-Saharan trade route]] and a major administrative center in the [[Fezzan]]. It was a stronghold for the [[Kel Ajjer]] [[Tuareg people|Tuareg]] federation whose territory covered most of south-western Libya—including [[Ubari]], [[Sabha, Libya|Sabha]] and [[Ghadames]], plus south-eastern [[Algeria]] ([[Djanet]] and [[Illizi]]).

From the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD, the Fezzan was home to the [[Garamantian Empire]], a city state which operated the Trans-Saharan trade routes between the [[Carthaginians]]&mdash;and later the [[Roman Empire]]&mdash;and the [[Sahel]]ian states of [[West Africa|West]] and [[Central Africa]]. During the 13th and 14th centuries, portions of the Fezzan were part of the [[Kanem Empire]], while the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rulers of [[North Africa]] asserted their control over the region in the 17th century. Ghat and its inhabitants were described in great detail by the English traveller [[James Richardson (explorer)|James Richardson]] in his journeys across the Libyan Sahara of 1845–1846.<ref>TRAVELS IN THE GREAT DESERT OF SAHARA, IN THE YEARS OF 1845 AND 1846 CONTAINING A NARRATIVE OF PERSONAL ADVENTURES, DURING A TOUR OF NINE MONTHS THROUGH THE DESERT, AMONGST THE TOUARICKS AND OTHER TRIBES OF SAHARAN PEOPLE; INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF THE OASES AND CITIES OF GHAT, GHADAMES, AND MOURZUK BY JAMES RICHARDSON Project Gutenberg Release Date: July 17, 2007 [EBook #22094] Last Updated: April 7, 2018</ref>

Beginning in 1911, Ghat and the Fezzan were occupied by Italy. [[Berber people|Berber]] and Arab adherents to a militant [[Sufi]] religious order, the [[Sanusiya]], resisted early Italian attempts at conquest, and Italy's control of the region was precarious until at least 1923, with the rise of the Italian [[Fascist]] regime. To defend their positions, the Italians built the [[Fortress of Ghat]] that dominates the city from the hill of Koukemen. This fort is still standing, and is a tourist attraction of the city.  
  
During the [[Second World War]], Ghat was occupied by France from 1943. On 21 November 1949, the [[United Nations General Assembly]] passed a resolution stating that Libya should become independent before 1 January 1952. Fezzan Province was then absorbed within the borders of the [[Kingdom of Libya]].

==Climate==
Ghat has a [[hot desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWh'') typical of the [[Fezzan]], a Libyan region lying in the heart of the [[Sahara Desert]]. Averages high temperatures exceed 40&nbsp;°C (104&nbsp;°F) during summer for 3 months (June, July, August) and averages high temperatures remain above 20&nbsp;°C (68&nbsp;°F) during the coldest month of the year. Winter days are very warm, sunny and dry. Annual precipitation averages only 8&nbsp;mm (0.32&nbsp;in) making the location one of the driest places on Earth. The sky is always clear and bright throughout the year.
Nevertheless, in June 2019 there were heavy downpours which caused great damage to the town. Thousands of residents were stranded and few were reported dead or missing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thousands stranded in flood-ravaged Ghat, southwestern Libya |url=https://www.libyaobserver.ly/news/thousands-stranded-flood-ravaged-ghat-southwestern-libya |website=www.libyaobserver.ly |language=en}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Ghat (1991–2020)
|single line = Yes
|metric first = Yes
| Jan record high C = 34.3
| Feb record high C = 38.0
| Mar record high C = 39.0
| Apr record high C = 43.0
| May record high C = 44.5
| Jun record high C = 46.0
| Jul record high C = 46.0
| Aug record high C = 44.5
| Sep record high C = 44.0
| Oct record high C = 41.8
| Nov record high C = 37.0
| Dec record high C = 34.5
| year record high C = 46.0
|Jan high C = 20.5
|Feb high C = 23.6
|Mar high C = 28.6
|Apr high C = 33.5
|May high C = 37.6
|Jun high C = 40.2
|Jul high C = 40.4
|Aug high C = 39.9
|Sep high C = 38.2
|Oct high C = 33.8
|Nov high C = 27.5
|Dec high C = 22.3
|year high C = 32.2
|Jan mean C = 12.6
|Feb mean C = 15.5
|Mar mean C = 20.6
|Apr mean C = 25.9
|May mean C = 30.3
|Jun mean C = 33.2
|Jul mean C = 33.3
|Aug mean C = 33.0
|Sep mean C = 31.3
|Oct mean C = 26.6
|Nov mean C = 19.8
|Dec mean C = 14.6
|year mean C = 24.7
|Jan low C = 4.8
|Feb low C = 7.4
|Mar low C = 12.6
|Apr low C = 18.3
|May low C = 23.1
|Jun low C = 26.2
|Jul low C = 26.2
|Aug low C = 26.1
|Sep low C = 24.3
|Oct low C = 19.3
|Nov low C = 12.1
|Dec low C = 6.9
|year low C = 17.3
| Jan record low C = -3.0
| Feb record low C = -4.5
| Mar record low C = -1.0
| Apr record low C = 7.5
| May record low C = 8.3
| Jun record low C = 1.6
| Jul record low C = 19.0
| Aug record low C = 18.5
| Sep record low C = 16.2
| Oct record low C = 4.5
| Nov record low C = 0.5
| Dec record low C = -3.0
| year record low C = -4.5
|Jan precipitation mm = 1.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 0.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 1.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 0.8
|May precipitation mm = 0.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 0.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 1.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 0.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 2.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 0.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 0.7
|year precipitation mm = 10.7
| Jan precipitation days = 0.2
| Feb precipitation days = 0.1
| Mar precipitation days = 0.2
| Apr precipitation days = 0.2
| May precipitation days = 0.2
| Jun precipitation days = 0.2
| Jul precipitation days = 0.0
| Aug precipitation days = 0.3
| Sep precipitation days = 0.1
| Oct precipitation days = 0.3
| Nov precipitation days = 0.1
| Dec precipitation days = 0.2
| year precipitation days = 2.1
| source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name=WMOCLINO>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230911040353/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Libya/CSV/GHAT_62212.csv
| archive-date = 11 September 2023
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Libya/CSV/GHAT_62212.csv
| title = Ghat Climate Normals 1991–2020
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 11 September 2023}}</ref>
}}

==Present day==
In the 2000s Ghat, as a garrison town, was the site of shootouts between Libyan security forces and [[al-Qaeda]]-linked fighters.<ref>{{cite news|last=Warren|first=Alex|date=24 August 2011|access-date=11 September 2011|title=Libya: what about the south?|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/aug/24/libya-forgotten-south}}</ref> The [[Fezzan campaign]] and border proximity were the regional components that included Ghat in the [[2011 Libyan Civil War|Libyan Civil War]]. On September 25, 2011, fighting moved onto Ghat where the last remnants of pro-Gaddafi loyalists in Fezzan were claimed{{by whom|date=February 2013}} to be stationed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8787721/Dumped-in-the-desert-...-Gaddafis-yellowcake-stockpile.html|title=Dumped in the desert ... Gaddafi’s yellowcake stockpile|agency=The Telegraph|first=Richard|last=Spencer|date=25 September 2011|access-date=9 October 2011}}</ref> NTC forces moved in, and took control of Ghat airport, located north of the city.<ref name=libyatv>{{cite news|url=http://www.libya.tv/2011/10/%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%b7%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d9%85%d8%b7%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%ba%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af%d9%88%d9%84%d9%8a/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007051309/http://www.libya.tv/2011/10/%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-10-07|title=فيديو: السيطرة على مطار غات الدولي|agency=Libya TV}}</ref> By the next day, the NTC had control of the city itself and Tinkarine border crossing with Algeria. As of 2015, the city is controlled by independent Tuareg forces.

===Tourism===
[[File:Fortress medina ghat.jpeg|270px|thumb|The [[Fortress of Ghat]]]]
Ghat is an important [[tourist destination]] due to the existence of prehistoric [[Cave painting|rock paintings]] and [[Petroglyph|engravings]] in the neighboring [[Tadrart Acacus]] and [[Tassili N'Ajjer]] mountains, in addition to the beauty of the surrounding desert landscapes. A major tourist attraction in the town itself is the [[Fortress of Ghat]] on Koukemen hill.

[[Ghat Airport]] is the local airport in Ghat.

==See also==
{{Commons category|Ghat}}
*[[Berber people|Berber]]
*[[Tuareg people|Tuareg]]
*[[Green Sahara]]
*[[Fortress of Ghat]]
*[[List of cities in Libya]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*Jami Bey, "Ghat and its Surroundings", ''The Geographical Journal'' Vol. 34, No. 2 Aug. 1909, pp.&nbsp;171–173

{{District capitals of Libya}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ghat, Libya| ]]
[[Category:Populated places in Ghat District]]
[[Category:Oases of Libya]]
[[Category:Tuareg]]
[[Category:Baladiyat of Libya]]
[[Category:Berber populated places]]