Ghat, December 20, 2025 – The city of Ghat is preparing to host the events of the Ghat International Tourism Festival in its thirty-first edition, which will be held from December 28 to 30, 2025, under the slogan “Our Heritage… Values and Civilization.”
The current edition’s events include a diverse program highlighting the local cultural heritage, in addition to artistic performances and tourism activities aimed at revitalizing cultural movement and promoting domestic tourism. This reflects the festival’s continuity as a platform for celebrating Libyan cultural diversity.
The Ghat Festival is considered a distinguished cultural and tourism event, viewed as the “dean of Libyan festivals” due to its rich history and permanent presence in the national cultural scene.
Since its first launch, the Ghat Festival has been associated with introducing the desert heritage and the local identity of the city, and has contributed to solidifying its status as an annual event that combines culture and tourism.
Ghat
A ghat is a series of steps leading down to a river, most famously along the Ganges in India, such as in Varanasi. These sites have served for centuries as important places for bathing, religious rituals, and cremation. They hold profound spiritual significance in Hinduism, representing a sacred interface between the physical and divine worlds.
Ghat International Tourism Festival
The Ghat International Tourism Festival is an annual cultural event held in Ghat, Libya, aimed at promoting tourism in the Sahara Desert region. It celebrates local Tuareg heritage through traditional music, crafts, and camel races, highlighting the historical significance of Ghat as an ancient crossroads of trans-Saharan trade routes.
Libyan
Libya is a North African country with a rich history shaped by ancient civilizations like the Phoenicians and Romans, notably at sites such as Leptis Magna. In the modern era, it was an Italian colony before gaining independence in 1951, later experiencing a long period of rule under Muammar Gaddafi from 1969 until the 2011 revolution. Its cultural heritage includes well-preserved Greco-Roman ruins and historic Islamic architecture in cities like Tripoli.
