Germa

Germa is located in southern Libya approximately 160 km. southwest of Sebha.  Founded by the Libyan tribe of Garamantes, it is hard to believe that this region with few people and scarce greenery was once home to the Garamantian Empire, which was so strong that the Romans never managed to defeat them.  There are two ruins Garama and Zinchecra, about 2 km. north of the little village of Germa.

Germa was a trading post linking Libya to sub-Saharan African countries.  They built a unique civilization that adapted to the topography and location. They resisted the Roman influence and one of its most important sites is the recently organized museum that houses all the important human aspects of the desert area.

Visitors shall find here a fort and a number of normal dwellings at Garama/Zinchecra sites that were human settlements of the Garamantes.  Located at the top of a high plateau, Zinchecra was also used as a burial site for royalty.  Water was originally extracted from natural springs and irrigated by canals using the natural gradient to distribute water for irrigation to all the farms.