Nalut (Arabic: نالوت) is the capital of the Nalut District[3] in northwestern Libya. Nalut lies approximately halfway between Tripoli and Ghadames, at the western end of the Nafusa Mountains coastal range, in the Tripolitania region.
Nalut
نالوت Nalút | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Nalut Location in Libya | |
| Coordinates: 31°52′06″N 10°58′57″E / 31.86833°N 10.98250°E | |
| Country |  Libya |
| Region | Tripolitania |
| District | Nalut |
| Elevation | 789 m (2,589 ft) |
| Population (2012)[2] | |
| • Total | 26,788 |
| calculated | |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| License Plate Code | 19 |
History
editName
editThe name Nalut and its alternate Lalut may derive from the pagan Berber goddess of springs, Tala. As Nalut is only 60 km from the Tunisian border and lies close to some oases, it played an important part in the caravan trade.[4]
Architecture
editNalut is home to the Qasr Nalut, which is a granary fortified by a ksour (castle). The facility has been abandoned but is a tourist destination. The fortress was a communal building where the local families could store their grain in times of conflict.[5]
The Alal'a Mosque – which is Nalut's oldest mosque – was rebuilt in 1312 CE.[6]
Libyan civil war
editA monument to Muammar Gaddafi's Green Book in the town square was demolished during the Libyan Civil War.[5]
In late April 2011, "Radio Free Nalut" began broadcasting in the city. It was one of several rebel-controlled radio stations established during the civil war and conducted broadcasts in Berber.[7]
A national reconciliation conference for the factions in the Libyan Civil War was held in Nalut in September 2016.[8]
Museum
editNalut contains the Nalut Dinosaur Museum, which exhibits fossil trees, crocodiles and dinosaurs which have been discovered in the vicinity of the town since the first find in 1998.[5]
Climate
editNalut has a cold desert climate (Köppen: BWk) with hot, dry summers and cold winters with occasional rain.
| Climate data for Nalut (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
32.7 (90.9) |
35.2 (95.4) |
39.0 (102.2) |
42.1 (107.8) |
44.0 (111.2) |
45.0 (113.0) |
44.0 (111.2) |
41.5 (106.7) |
39.0 (102.2) |
33.6 (92.5) |
27.8 (82.0) |
45.0 (113.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 14.4 (57.9) |
15.9 (60.6) |
20.1 (68.2) |
24.8 (76.6) |
29.3 (84.7) |
33.1 (91.6) |
35.0 (95.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
32.0 (89.6) |
27.1 (80.8) |
20.5 (68.9) |
15.4 (59.7) |
25.2 (77.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.4 (43.5) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.1 (52.0) |
16.7 (62.1) |
22.0 (71.6) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.5 (81.5) |
28.0 (82.4) |
25.5 (77.9) |
20.0 (68.0) |
13.2 (55.8) |
9.5 (49.1) |
17.8 (64.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
1.1 (34.0) |
8.6 (47.5) |
15.7 (60.3) |
19.3 (66.7) |
21.4 (70.5) |
22.0 (71.6) |
19.0 (66.2) |
15.3 (59.5) |
6.4 (43.5) |
2.3 (36.1) |
14.8 (58.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.0 (8.6) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
0.6 (33.1) |
4.0 (39.2) |
10.0 (50.0) |
12.2 (54.0) |
5.6 (42.1) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 13.4 (0.53) |
23.0 (0.91) |
18.7 (0.74) |
9.8 (0.39) |
7.2 (0.28) |
2.0 (0.08) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.01) |
5.0 (0.20) |
20.2 (0.80) |
9.7 (0.38) |
19.3 (0.76) |
128.6 (5.06) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 16.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 59.1 | 55.7 | 51.7 | 47.4 | 45.1 | 43.2 | 42.0 | 45.2 | 51.1 | 54.9 | 56.9 | 60.1 | 51.0 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) |
2.1 (35.8) |
3.9 (39.0) |
5.7 (42.3) |
8.6 (47.5) |
11.1 (52.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
14.2 (57.6) |
13.9 (57.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
7.1 (44.8) |
3.5 (38.3) |
8.0 (46.4) |
| Source: NOAA[9] | |||||||||||||
See also
editNotes and references
edit- ^ "Nalut, Libya". Wolfram Alpha LLC.
- ^ "Nālūt". World Gazetteer. Archived from the original on 2012-12-08.
- ^ "اللجنة الشعبية العامة" [Sha'biyat of Great Jamahiriya] (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 7 February 2009.
- ^ "Nalut". Temehu.com. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
- ^ a b c "Dinosaurs and ancient beliefs: Life in Libya's highlands". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
- ^ "Nalut City in Libya". Mygola. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
- ^ Peterson, Scott (28 April 2011). "Freedom now rings from one mountaintop radio station in western Libya". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 2 May 2011.
- ^ "National reconciliation conference to be held in Nalut". Libya Herald. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
- ^ "Nalut Climate Normals 1991–2020". World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
External links
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