Date Harvest Festivals

Throughout October, Date Harvest Festivals are held in various locations of Libya. Libyans gather in Ghadames' World Heritage-listed old neighborhood to eat dates and celebrate the end of the harvest.

Residents of the modern town come to their ancestral homes in the old city, which has been legally deserted since the mid-1980s, and throw open their doors for singing, dancing, and public celebrations. The gloomy ancient city features a network of covered walkways that provide shade from the scorching Saharan sun.

The focus turns to the old city on the second morning of the festival after some events in the modern town on the first day. Weddings and ceremonies commemorating young men's passage into maturity can be seen. Up to 30 of the 1250 dwellings are utilized; some events that would normally span seven days are replaced with seven buildings. It's a fantastic opportunity to observe re-enactments of ancient festivals in their natural setting.

When: October

Where: Ghadames