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318:(1,100 ft) of topographic prominence. A series of deep valleys which drain north toward the Jefara cut into this escarpment. It extends about 250 km (160 mi) within Libya, from just east of the city of Gharyan (about 60 km (40 mi) south of Tripoli) in the east to the city of Wazzin at the Tunisian border in the west. Spurs and isolated upthrusts continue into Tunisia, but this region is almost unpopulated, in marked contrast to the situation in Libya.
283:). In the aftermath, citing them as heretics, Ibrahim II executed all the Nafusa prisoners and put an end to their independent imamate (Tahert fell shortly after, in 911). Despite the destruction of their states, Ibadi Islam remained a strong (if clandestine) faith among the Berbers of the Nafusa mountains for centuries after, down to the modern day. The lingering heterodoxy of the Nafusa people has placed them frequently at odds, or under suspicion, by the largely orthodox
299:, when their initiatives led to the Nafusa Mountains becoming a major front in that war. The terrain and topography of the region are critical strategic factors, constraining mechanised advances from the flat plain and plateau, and favouring guerrilla tactics based on close local knowledge and the advantage of high ground. By the end of June 2011 the Nafusi people had almost succeeded in liberating themselves completely from the control of the regime.
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border crossing was captured and held to ensure supply lines from
Tunisia; all the mountain towns were retaken; and the front extended to the plains, cutting regime communications lines and allowing electricity to be restored. They were the first rebel combatants to be supplied with arms by air-drop.
321:
The mountain area is rarely more than 25 km (16 mi) in depth, from its southern boundary, the flat arid plateau some 650 m (2,100 ft) above sea level, to its northern limit on the plain, where the land falls to below 150 m (490 ft). Much of the 500 m (2,000 ft)
400:
The Nafusa
Mountains became first a hotbed for anti-Gaddafi protests (with protests breaking out relatively early in Nalut and Zintan) and then a rebel stronghold, an island of rebel control in the mainly Gaddafi-controlled western part of the country. During the early stages, forces allied to the
317:
of the
Tripolitanian Plateau slope downwards to the south and tilt upwards towards the north creating the highest portion of the plateau as the Nafusa mountains which rise to over 750 m (2,500 ft). The plateau ends abruptly on the north with an escarpment which has up to 350 m
326:
may be up to 350 m (1,100 ft). It is from below, on the plain, viewing the steep slopes and sharply-etched skyline that the area appears mountainous; from the plateau the land appears merely hilly, and in fact it is rather flat apart from the effects of differential erosion.
230:
took refuge in the Nafusa
Mountains. Preachers converted and organized the native Nafusa people into a fighting force. Under the leadership of Imam Abu al-Khattab al-Ma'afari, the Nafusa descended from the mountains and proceeded to conquer all of the crumbling
409:
In the course of the civil war, many towns in the area were subjected to shelling by artillery and rockets from both sides, with much damage to infrastructure. Regime forces cut off electricity and water supplies.
255:
in 761 (his third attempt - his first two armies had been repulsed) and put an end to their putative new state. However, the Nafusa mountains themselves remained unconquered. Throughout the 9th century, while the
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of Egypt invaded
Aghlabid Ifriqya and captured Tripoli. But the Nafusa challenged and destroyed the Egyptian army in 880. Again the Nafusa victory was short-lived. In 896-97, the Aghlabid emir
531:
Asketell, J. M. and
Ghellali, S. M. (1991) "A palaeogeologic map of the pre-Tertiary surface in the region of the Jifarah Plain: its implication to the structural history of Northern Libya"
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ruled in
Ifriqiya, the Ibadi maintained an independent puritan republic in the Nafusa mountains. The Imamate of Nafusa was in close alliance with the other Ibadi remnant, the
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67:
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The Nafusa
Mountains form the boundary between the Libyan coastal plain, known as the Jafara, to the north, and the Tripolitanian Plateau to the south. The
559:
El-Zouki, Ashour V. (1980) "Stratigraphy and lithofacies of the continental clastic (Upper
Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous) of Jabal Nafusah, NW Libya"
771:
641:
385:
Ethic composition of the Libyan population in 1974. The orange arc in the
Northwest shows the Berber population in the Nafusa Mountains.
419:
362:, which have all been the sites of military action during the 2011 civil war. Since 2007, the mountains stretch across two districts:
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268:, both constant thorns on either side of the Aghlabids, in communication with each other across the back highlands of North Africa.
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culture and language, after four decades during which there were severe punishments for speaking and writing Tamazight openly.
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in early summer 2011, and while fierce fighting continued, Berber exhibitions and workshops sprang up to share and spread the
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The geology of Libya. Volume IV–VII : Third Symposium on the Geology of Libya, held at Tripoli, September 27–30, 1987
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This distinct culture, suppressed and oppressed by the Libyan regime, has risen to new prominence in the course of the
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As towns and villages in the Nafusa Mountains and surrounding areas were liberated from control by forces loyal to
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was without electricity and water for seven weeks, and more than 45,000 refugees fled for safety to the adjoining
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Megerisi, Mohamed and Mamgain, V. D. (1980) "The Upper Cretaceous-Tertiary formations of northern Libya"
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The mountain villages raise primarily goats, olives and grain, but also have fig and apricot orchards.
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national transitional government succeeded in evacuating most non-combatants into Tunisia; the
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567:(2nd : 1978 : Tripoli, Libya) Academic Press, New York, volume II, pp. 394–418,
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594:(2nd : 1978 : Tripoli, Libya) Academic Press, New York, volume I, pp. 67–72,
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recovered Tripolitana and defeated the Nafusa in a great battle at Manu (south of
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Arab governor of Egypt invaded Ifriqya, defeated the Nafusa in a battle at
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drop in level is accomplished abruptly, at the escarpment, where local
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638:"MSF expands operations in response to growing needs in Libya"
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The area was a major population and cultural center of the
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Histoire de l'Afrique du Nord, de la conquete Arabe à 1830
640:. Médecins Sans Frontières. 18 May 2011. Archived from
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The Geology of Libya: Symposium on the Geology of Libya
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The Geology of Libya: Symposium on the Geology of Libya
745:"Nafusa Mountains: Winding roads, rugged mountains"
693:. Tunisian News Agency. 21 May 2011. Archived from
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Tripolitanien, Syrtebogen, Fezzan und die Kyrenaika
183:formed where the northern end of the Tripolitanian
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691:"More than 45,000 Libyan refugees in Tataouine"
543:Elsivier, Amsterdam, volume VI, pp. 2381–2406,
590:Salem, M. J. and Busrewil, M. T. (ed.) (1980)
563:Salem, M. J. and Busrewil, M. T. (ed.) (1980)
502:, vol. 2, 1961 edition, Paris: Payot. pp.31-32
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179:. It also includes their regions around the
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613:"France supplying weapons to Libyan rebels"
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718:"Waiting game for rebels in western Libya"
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665:"Libyan begs NATO to save his small town"
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226:missionaries that had fled from the
521:Map of situation on 28 June 2011 at
478:. DuMont Reiserverlag. p. 14.
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611:Spencer, Richard (29 June 2011).
287:population of the rest of Libya.
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210:, who repeatedly expanded west.
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330:Towns in the mountains include
663:Robertson, Nic (22 May 2011).
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396:2011 Nafusa Mountains Campaign
218:In the aftermath of the great
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716:Simpson, John (5 July 2011).
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474:Willeitner, Joachim (2001).
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55:975 m (3,199 ft)
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886:Mountain ranges of Libya
412:Médecins Sans Frontières
364:Jabal al Gharbi District
324:topographic prominences
297:Libyan Civil War (2011)
175:region of northwestern
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277:Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya
390:2011 Libyan civil war
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291:2011 Libyan civil war
671:. Cable News Network
498:C.A. Julien, (1931)
434:Cultural renaissance
222:of the 8th century,
511:Julien (1931: p.39)
83:31.8649°N 11.7933°E
79: /
456:Cave dwelling Jews
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309:Geography of Libya
45:Highest point
16:Mountains in Libya
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228:Umayyad Caliphate
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845:Waw an Namus
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725:. Retrieved
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699:. Retrieved
695:the original
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673:. Retrieved
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642:the original
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271:In 879, the
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239:- capturing
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173:Tripolitania
156:
154:
146:, northwest
144:Tripolitania
805:Bikku Bitti
356:Al-Qawalish
243:in 757 and
235:emirate of
86: /
61:Coordinates
880:Categories
840:Al Uweinat
462:References
426:region of
307:See also:
187:meets the
181:escarpment
165:جبال نفوسة
74:11°47′36″E
71:31°51′54″N
29:جبال نفوسة
727:18 August
701:18 August
675:18 August
648:18 August
622:18 August
444:Tamazight
303:Geography
258:Aghlabids
99:Geography
51:Elevation
722:BBC News
450:See also
428:Tatouine
424:Tunisian
420:Al Galaa
273:Tulunids
253:Tawergha
245:Kairouan
237:Ifriqiya
140:Location
864:Commons
835:Tibesti
374:Economy
332:Gharyan
249:Abbasid
241:Tripoli
202:History
194:or the
185:Plateau
167:) is a
830:Nafusa
820:Arkanu
810:Sherif
800:Acacus
598:
571:
547:
537:et al.
482:
416:Zintan
403:Wazzin
344:Qotros
340:Zintan
336:Yafran
266:Tiaret
233:Fihrid
196:Jefara
161:Arabic
815:Haruj
789:Libya
360:Nalut
352:Kabaw
285:Sunni
281:Gabès
224:Ibadi
177:Libya
148:Libya
729:2011
703:2011
677:2011
650:2011
624:2011
596:ISBN
569:ISBN
545:ISBN
480:ISBN
366:and
358:and
348:Jadu
208:Libu
155:The
264:in
882::
720:.
667:.
615:.
588:in
579:^
561:in
533:in
370:.
354:,
350:,
346:,
342:,
338:,
334:,
198:.
163::
773:e
766:t
759:v
731:.
705:.
679:.
652:.
626:.
488:.
159:(
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