Connect with us

Culture

Residents of Gharyan, site of Libya’s underground homes call for tourism revival

Published

on

Residents of the historical Libyan town, Gharyan are hoping tourism can help restore their heritage and reposition the town as a tourism powerhouse in the North African country.

There are a number of unique underground houses in Libya, one of which is Gharyan’s which was hewn into the mountainside centuries ago but has been abandoned for some time.

“My great-great-great-great-great-grandfather dug this yard 355 years ago,” said Al-Arbi Belhaj, who owns one of the oldest houses in the mixed Berber-Arab town south of Tripoli. His ancestor would have used a “tajouk” pickaxe to chip away at the ground before loading the rubble into a woven date-palm “gouffa” basket to carry it away, he said.

Dug deep into the arid Nafusa mountains at around 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level, the home would have been protected against the scorching summers that bring temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). It would have also stayed warm throughout the often snowy winters.

The climate in Gharyan is of hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh), with blazing summers and cool winters; its winters being one of the coldest in Libya. Due to its winter months being relatively 5º degrees colder than Tripoli, the locality sees a cooler variation of said climate, though its higher elevation also means that the town gets a dozen millimeters more precipitation than Libya’s capital city.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Culture

African men run away from single mothers— Joselyn Dumas

Published

on

Veteran Ghanaian actress and media personality, Joselyn Dumas, has lamented the fact that most African men shy away from getting married to single mothers due to the added responsibilities they will be saddled with.

The actress who made the assertion in her recent podcast, “Keeping it Real with Joselyn Dumas, The Perfect Picture”, opened up on the challenges of many single mothers who are struggling to find a partner because of societal biases.

In the podcast, Dumas who shared a personal story of a male friend whom she said refused to settle down with a lady because she had a child.

According to her, the friend named Anthony, firmly stated that it wasn’t his thing to be with a ‘born one’ or ‘born two’.

“He said B1, B2, I’m not in and I said to myself, ‘this is the reason why a lot of single mothers are single with their children.

“Now his reason was, why am I going to raise somebody’s child? That’s not my bloodline. He doesn’t have my DNA in him. Why am I now going to help someone’s bloodline grow? What about mine?” she said.

Dumas who is a single mother, noted that Anthony’s mindset is a “reflection of the views of a larger majority of people who don’t want to have meaningful relationship with single mothers.”

She also criticised what she termed as the double standard in society’s views on raising non-biological children, arguing that it should not be seen differently from adoption.

“I have a child but these men won’t even ask you, they don’t even care why you have a child. You’ve had seven miscarriages when you got married. You meet a guy, you were dating and you got pregnant, are you going to abort the baby because you aren’t married?

“He doesn’t want the child, are you going to throw the child away? No! You can raise the child. It takes a village to raise the child, so even if you don’t have a job, you will get support. This is part of the sacrifice you have to make regardless of what has happened,” she said.

Continue Reading

Culture

Namibia govt condemns tourists posing naked on Big Daddy Dune

Published

on

The Namibian authorities have frowned at tourists who posed naked at the Big Daddy Dune, the country’s top tourist attraction located in the Namibian desert.

Reports in the country’s media say locals were shocked to sight the tourists posing naked on the Dune during a safari and have demanded for action against them from authorities.

According to local media, actions that could be taken against the tourists include being blacklisted from entering any of Namibia’s parks.

A spokesperson from the country’s Tourism Ministry told local media that photos and a video from of the naked tourists have been widely shared, sparking sharp reactions.

Vice Chairperson of the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations, Kenneth Nependa, who condemned the act, told journalists that the behaviour risked attracting tourists “who think anything goes in Namibia.”

“It is very sickening and it really creates a bad image for Namibia,” Nependa said, adding that the Big Daddy Dune was not just a relaxing place for tourists but for families too.

Though it is not clear who took the photos and the video of the three male tourists who were seen stark naked in the sandy dune, next to their clothes, authorities say a stern action will be taken against them.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Romeo Muyunda, described the behaviour as “extremely shocking,” saying it was public indecency punishable by Namibian law.

“We appeal to that section of tourists to summon the conscience so that they do the right things,” Muyunda said.

He appealed to Namibians to report violations of park regulations immediately for swift action.

The Big Daddy dune is one of the three largest dunes in Namibia’s enormous Namib-Naukluft National Park, one of the largest in the world and are popular with tourists who hike to the top to have a stunning view across the crests.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Metro2 hours ago

Mapanza traditional council shares positive outlook on media rights, freedom of expression

Jonathan Muchindu, a representative of the Traditional Council of Mapanza Chiefdom in Choma District, Southern Province, Zambia, asserts that the...

VenturesNow2 hours ago

World Bank grants Malawi $57.6 million for food crisis

As a response to its food crisis, the World Bank said on Friday that it would give Malawi $57.6 million...

Metro8 hours ago

Nigeria loses N1.29trn annually to crude oil theft, vandalism— Reps Speaker

Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has revealed that the country loses a whopping sum of N1.29...

Tech22 hours ago

Intel Liftoff Hackathon 2024 calls for applications from African AI startups

Applications for the 2024 cohort of Intel Liftoff Hackathon has opened for African AI startups designed to bring together aspiring...

Culture22 hours ago

African men run away from single mothers— Joselyn Dumas

Veteran Ghanaian actress and media personality, Joselyn Dumas, has lamented the fact that most African men shy away from getting...

Sports1 day ago

Former Zambian captain Rainford Kalaba discharged from hospital after near-fatal accident

Former Zambian national team captain, Rainford Kalaba, has been discharged from hospital weeks after he was involved in a near-fatal...

Metro1 day ago

‘Cyber Act fails to protect the vulnerable,’ Student demands media inclusivity for persons with disabilities

Peter Libila, a student at Icof University’s Chipata campus, highlights the lack of awareness among individuals with disabilities and those...

Metro1 day ago

All my tough policy decisions are in Nigerians’ interest— Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has insisted that all his tough policy decisions and reforms have been taken with the...

VenturesNow1 day ago

Nigerian oil regulator implements regional fuel standards

Nigeria’s oil authority has clarified that the recent changes to diesel fuel sulphur content standards are part of a regional...

VenturesNow1 day ago

IMF predicts Kenya’s economy to overtake Angola

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that this year, Kenya will pass Angola to become the fourth biggest economy in...

Trending