7/28/2019 Some Aspects of J. Nafusa Culture

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Some aspects of J. Nafusa Culture

The Amazigh of J. Nafusa

The Jabal Culture:An in depth look at the intriguing vernacular architecture and culture of the Berber settlements around the mountain of Jabel Nafusa, the visit includes village of Forssetta : astrong hold fortified settlement perched on a sheer drop, reviving around a granary storewhich has two stories encrypted into the ground. Granary stores are simple architecturalenclosures invented by the local people in which their annual crops would be stored.Other examples at Kabaw , and Qasr el Haj , will be visited.Also the village of Tourmisa will be on our way.

Religious Shrines in Jabal Nafusa:

Islamic, Christian and Judaism prints are still evident in the Jabal Nafusa area, a good fullday visits many religious sites scattered around the Jabal including Jadu , Yefren andNanna Tala . In those shrines, we will observe the Roman and Byzantine architecturalremains being incorporated into later Islamic and Judaic buildings.

Troglodyte culture:Many of the buildings of the Jabal are partially excavated into the ground, presentingonly a low profile from the exterior. In the area of Gharin for example, a troglodytecommunity is still in existence, using their under-ground houses in the summer,sometimes it is completely hidden underground, and Entered by a descending excavated ramp. There are so many mosques in Jabal Nafusa,

which were also dug into the ground executed almost in the same manner as the above-mentioned houses.This type of (Cryptus Porticus) dwellings, having been described as Troglodyte, wereknown since the classical history and mentioned by Greek and Roman writers.

The Jabal Gsur:One of the most interesting structure phenomena of the Jabal Nafusa is the fortifiedcommunal storehouse. A Berber gaser or castle, originally built as a grain-store, with anopen space in the middle for tents, to enable the population to withstand prolongeddroughts and sieges. keepers would be assigned from the community to guard the gaser and unlock it at certain times every day to permit food withdrawal, such profession would

be inherited within one extended family which will bare the name ( Enemmothar) whichmeans "The Guardians". The Gaser is characteristically formed by a ring or rectangle of layers of superimposed barrel vaults, which open inwards and have a uniform externalwall broken only by small ventilation holes and a single entrance. The internal space

provided a protected shelter for the villagers and their produce (each family having aseparate barrel vaulted store) during periods of offence, and also a market place in timesof peace.