Gharyan – The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has placed Gharyan on the Heritage List of Islamic Countries among the twenty-two sites of Libya highlighting the distinguished value of the selected sites and embodying the importance of preserving them.
The city of Gharyan is characterized by the presence of houses (Cave Dwellings), which represents a stage of housing development in the region, and is considered one of the most important tourist attractions in Gharyan and a centuries-old model of architecture that characterized the city.
The residents of the area have used these houses for long periods of time, and they are not required to heat in the winter, nor cooling or the need of air conditioning in the summer.
The (Cave Dwellings) is established by digging a vertical hole up to ten meters deep. The so-called (home) is excavated starting from the bottom.
The area in which the house opens is called the middle of the yard, and it is possible to exit the described house through the so-called (shed), which is a trench with a height of approximately 4 meters that is dug by a diagonal path and at an angle of approximately 45 until it reaches the surface of the ground. The dwelling has a main door made of olive wood, and it has an iron lock and a distinctive long key, and sometimes the lock and key are made of wood.
The process of protecting them from torrential flow is carried out by means of what is known as (aloni), which is a small ball that revolves around the edge of the yard from the top. The excavation is called (the belt) to prevent the flow of water at the entrance to the homes.
Source: Libyan News Agency