Desert Fruit The dates of Al Jufrah

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DESERT FRUITThe Dates of Al Jufrah


edited by Marta Mancini

Field research and texts by Marta Mancini

Translated by Carla Ranicki

Photographs by Marta Mancini and Carlo Bergesio

Historic map from the Istituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare

Illustrations by Irene Roggero

Design and layout by Alice Lotti

Printed on recycled and ecological paper

For their invaluable assistance, suggestions and support, many thanks go to

Dr. Bashir Gshera, local coordinator of the project; Mostafa Ali Gringo, guide

and interpreter; Elsanoussi Jalala; Mahmoud Abobaker Fadil; the Libyan Board

of Improving and Developing Olive and Palm Trees; all the people of Al Jufrah

who contributed in various ways to the production of this publication; Massimo

Battaglia, Italian coordinator of the project; Stefania Sani, librarian at the Istituto

Agronomico per l’Oltremare, Prof. Milvia Luisa Racchi; Piero Sardo, President

of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity; and Michela Lenta, in charge

of Mediterranean Africa for Slow Food.


Do not love me my master like a palm

that the wind caresses and then leaves languishing

Do not love me my master like a door

that the hurried man constantly pulls and pushes

Love me my master like a date

that the glutton sucks voluptuously down to the pit…

[Popular Arab ballad quoted by Giorgio Assan;

La Libia e il mondo arabo; Rome, Editori Riuniti, 1959; p. 25]

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40°

30°

20°

10°

30°10° 20°10° 0°

Twenty-ninth parallel Twenty-ninth parallel

THE WORLD MAP OF DATESThe map shows where the highest concentrations of date palms are in the world. The best zone in the world for cultivating

the palms and one of the historic caravan routes along which dates were traded are both along the 29th parallel.

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70° 80° 90°50° 60°40°

Twenty-ninth parallel

LIBYA

The number of palm trees in Al Jufrah has grown from around 88,000 in the 1930s to 3 million today. Half of the dates produced in irrigated plantations come from Waddan, while the rest come from Hun and Sokna. Zellah and Al Fugha are oases where date production is more traditional. Privately owned plots in Al Jufrah are of moderate size, between 6 and 10 hectares. One hectare can be planted with around 100 palms and each palm produces between 40 and 100 kilograms of dates a year.

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THE 95 FLAVORS OFLIBYAN DATESSome of the best dates in the world come from Libya, and dozens of different date varieties have been preserved here. This extraordinary heritage is the fruit of centuries of history, carefully safeguarded by today’s farmers to give hope for tomorrow’s desert.

Compared to the dates that flood

European supermarkets around Christmas, Lib-

yan dates represent a glorious celebration of

biodiversity and flavor. Today, 400 different date

varieties are still grown in the country, of which

95 are of commercial interest. This incredible

wealth has served as a highly effective natural

defense for the Libyan plantations, which have

remained safe from pathogen attacks like Bayoud

disease. Having destroyed two-thirds of Moroc-

co’s palm groves during the last century, the dis-

ease is now spreading to Algeria and threatening

the Tunisian plantations.

Libya’s date varieties can be di-

vided into three major groups: the fleshy-fruited

coastal varieties, which can be eaten fresh or re-

frigerated for months (Bronzi, Taluni, Baudi); the

semi-soft varieties from the central zone, mostly

consumed fresh (Bestian, Kathari, Abel, Tagiat,

Saiedi); and those from the southern oases, less

succulent and fleshy (Amjog, Emeli, Awarig, Tas-

cube, Intalia, Tamjog). These latter varieties are

suited for drying and can be stored for up to 10

years. They were highly valued by the caravans

that used to cross the desert.

Those familiar with the desert have

many different ways of distinguishing the varie-

ties: the shape of the palm’s foliage, the appear-

ance of the leaves, the length of the thorns, how

the bunches of fruit hang. But even a European

would immediately be able to see the striking di-

versity among the fruits when they are laid out

next to each other, even before experiencing the

bewildering symphony of flavors on their palate.

Kathary dates are greener than the yellowish Sok-

eris; Tagiats have a tapered shape; the prized Hali-

mas offer an incomparable concentration of pleas-

ure, their sweetness caressing the mouth without

DATE NAMES

The Arabic word tamar means both

“date” and “October,” the month

in which dates are harvested. As a sign

of the centrality this fruit has always

had in the everyday life and economy

of the desert populations, the same

word is also used to refer to fruit

in general. Dates are so important

in Arab culture that the Arabic language

has five different words for the fruit’s

different stages of development:

hababouk (unripe, green), kimri, blah

or khalal (fresh, slightly astringent,

juicy and fibrous, hard), rutab (medium

moisture), tamar (overripe, dry).

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ever becoming cloying. The country is also rich in

sayings and legends associated with the fruit, such

as the old adage “if you plant Berni dates, you’ll

eat Berni dates,” referring to a particularly resist-

ant variety able to guarantee food security.

The date palm varieties grown in

Libya today are the same as those described by the

Italians between 1926 and 1930, showing how the

impressive local genetic wealth has not been lost

over time, but wisely maintained and regenerated.

The Libyan government recently

launched a major project to encourage, improve

and promote the production of dates, planting

new palms in various desert and semi-arid re-

gions of the country, expanding research institu-

tions in the sector and supporting technical and

scientific exchanges, with the aim of genetically,

agriculturally and biologically improving the crop

in arid environments.

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Single-variety cultivation is not only more

susceptible to possible parasitic epidemics,

but also at greater risk in the event of unusual

weather patterns. If these occur during certain

key stages in the plant’s life cycle, such as

flowering and fruit setting, they can result

in serious production losses. Single-variety

crops are also more vulnerable to market

fluctuations dictated by the changing

preferences of consumers. In other Maghreb

countries the renewal and conservation

of traditional varieties is no longer ensured.

The resulting impoverishment in biodiversity

has already led to major cultivation of selected

varieties and the spread of monocultures

for export. Those varieties held to be

of lower quality or lesser commercial value

are particularly suffering. The complete

abandonment of traditional crops will inevitably

lead to the reduction of the genetic variability

available to the species, a variability that comes

from a long natural selection and constitutes the

primary factor for environmental adaptation.

As in other countries, drought, salinity,

desertification and aging palm groves have

created problems for date cultivation in Libya,

but farmers recognized the importance

of safeguarding the varieties common at a local

level. Today they have access to a heritage

that is extremely valuable for the environmental

and economic future of the country and

the whole Mediterranean basin.

THE ADVANTAGES OF BIODIVERSITY

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THE TREASURES

OF AL JUFRAHDates express what the French call terroir: the special combination of soil and climate that characterizes the identity of a geographic area. The fruits of the Al Jufrah palms represent the essence of a land shaped by nature and expertly tended by the people of the oases.

The Al Jufrah region of central

Libya has long been recognized as an ideal zone

for date growing, thanks to its soil composi-

tion, abundant aquiferous reserves and climate

(its seasons, temperatures, temperature swings,

humidity level and so on).

The particularly fortunate characteristics of

this area mean that the palms grow easily. Cul-

tivation is effectively organic, because no syn-

thetic chemical pesticides or fertilizers are used.

This undoubtedly has positive consequences for

the flavor of the fruits, which are naturally rich

in sugars and highly nutritious.

Dozens of different varieties are still being

grown in Al Jufrah. These local varieties, each

with their own sensory characteristics, can as-

tonish attentive and curious palates. These are

a few of the most common varieties:

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Kathari: Highly esteemed, though slightly

astringent; stays soft for the whole year;

has a stubby oval fruit, greenish-yellow

in color, with a thick, hard skin and soft flesh.

Tagiat: The dark-brown, elongated oval fruits,

with a smooth, thick, hard skin and soft flesh,

keep quite well. A popular old saying claims

that hunting dogs run fast because they

eat Tagiat dates.

Abel: Dry, easy to store and transport;

oval fruit, yellow with brown patches;

smooth, tough, thick skin; hard flesh

with a sweet but astringent flavor.

Halima: Considered a rare delicacy,

they represent the highest quality of date.

The very soft fruits are larger than

average and pleasantly sweet without

being cloying.

ABEL

variety

TAGIATvariety

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Saiedi, Kathari, Bestian, Hamria, Abel and

Tagiat, among other varieties, were identi-

fied as particularly valuable and reserved for

export by an Italian royal decree in 1928. The

palms were closely guarded by the colonists,

and when the dates were harvested the Italians

would buy all the best fruit, leaving little for

the local inhabitants.

Saiedi: Of ancient Egyptian origin, but now

considered one of Libya’s most important

varieties, it has a translucent dark-brown fruit,

shaped like an elongated oval, with a thin,

tender skin and soft, syrupy flesh. The palms

can be irrigated with brackish water. They are

highly resistant to parasites and very productive,

producing a regular yield each year. The fruits are

appreciated for their pleasant flavor and because

they store well.

Bestian: With a low sugar content,

this is the date variety most recommended

for diabetes sufferers.

Hamria: Very abundant in Al Jufrah. This variety

is particularly good for the production of lagbi,

the juice extracted from the palm’s trunk.

BESTIAN

variety

HAMRIAvariety

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DATE NUTRITION

A fleshy dried date contains more or less

the same constituents as the fresh fruit,

in concentrated form: high in sugars and

fiber, and no or very low fat.

In general, nuts and dried fruit are rich

in calories (100 grams of walnuts, for

example, have 660 kilocalories, hazelnuts

625, pistachios 642, almonds 542 and pine

nuts 569). Their energy content makes

them a particularly good food in cases

of fatigue or physical weakness.

Dates, on the other hand, have quite a low

calorie count: around 250 kilocalories per

100 grams. They are rich in simple sugars and

minerals like potassium, useful for rebalancing

the presence of liquids in the body and

assisting the cardiovascular system, as well as

calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron,

all effective in preventing muscular cramps

and lowering blood pressure.

Fresh dates are preferable to dried because

of the higher content of vitamins A and B,

carotenoids and fiber, which contribute to the

fruit’s remineralizing and laxative properties.

New palm groves began to be plan-

ted in Al Jufrah in 2005. In El Hizam El Gerbi, an

area near Sokna, 12,000 hectares stretching over

70 kilometers have been reclaimed and 780,000

palm shoots have been planted. The far-sighted

decision was made to preserve the traditional

genetic heritage by planting local varieties: Ta-

giat, Tasfert, Talis, Kathari, Saiedi and Abel.

The positive effects of these ex-

panses of young palm trees on the edge of the

desert have already been felt. In recent years

the sandstorms that usually plague the area in

the fall have considerably diminished, while the

rising humidity level seems to be slowing down

the desertification process.

Within a few years many of the

new palm groves will begin production, which

will more or less double the quantity of dates

available for export compared to what is produ-

ced today. There is no doubt that the country’s

entry into the World Trade Organization and

the possibility of using the Protected Denomi-

nation of Origin system will open up new op-

portunities for exporting the fruit. Additionally,

the new plantations established by the gover-

nment will be subdivided into small plots and

distributed among the region’s farmers, who

will now be able to benefit financially from in-

ternational sales.

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APPROXIMATE NUTRITIONAL AND ENERGY

VALUES FOR 100 GRAMS OF PRODUCT:

ENERGY (calories) 250 Kcal

Calcium 50-70 mg

Iron 1-2.7 mg

Magnesium 55-70 mg

Phosphorous 50-70 mg

Potassium 240-500 mg

Water 20-25%

Sugars 65-75%

Fats 1-2%

Protein 1.5-2.5%

Fiber 7-8%

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PALMS AND OASESTo the Western imagination, an oasis means little more than palm trees. In fact, an oasis is a complex microcosm, functioning according to an interconnected virtuous circle. Palms are the vital hub at the heart of this system.

In the desert, where for hundreds of

kilometers there is nothing to see but expanses

of sand and stones, barren mountains and phan-

tom waterways, one can suddenly come across

an area where life flourishes: small green zones

(Medwin or Al Fugha, in the case of Al Jufra)

or actual towns (the Sokna-Hun-Waddan area)

which have developed thanks to the water well-

ing up under the ground.

An oasis exploits aquifers and deeper

groundwater to protect itself from the advance-

ment of the surrounding sand dunes. Arabs like

to say that the date palm “must have its feet in

the water and its head in the fire.” Indeed, as the

palms grow their roots seek out the water flow-

ing in the ground. Their foliage creates a kind of

umbrella, protecting the soil around them from

the sun’s fiercest rays and allowing other plants

to sprout and grow in the shade.

Humans have taken advantage of

the natural protection offered by palms to cul-

tivate vegetables, fruit trees, fodder and even

grains. Peppers, onions, garlic, fava beans, pump-

kins, tomatoes, eggplants, pomegranates, figs,

citrus, wheat, barley and alfalfa for livestock

have all long been planted in gardens alongside

the palms.

Palms create their own protection

from the sun, concentrate water vapor, attract

insects, produce the humus which they then feed

on, protect the ground from atmospheric agents

and allow cultivation under their foliage, which

further increases the positive dynamics triggered

by the palms. This is the oasis effect, capable of

creating self-reproducing and self-sustaining life

cycles in conditions of scarce resources. Within

the oasis system, the amount of available water

is not only renewed, but also increased.

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An oasis should be understood as an artifi-

cial creation that exists because of the sophisticat-

ed environmental knowledge of the humans who

live there. The aridity of the desert is interrupted

by specific situations that create niches and micro-

environments in contrast to the surrounding hos-

tile conditions. The presence of palms generates fa-

vorable dynamics. Humans intervene with a wealth

of traditional knowledge, in harmony with nature,

ensuring a prudent and often collective manage-

ment of resources. As a result, community models

in equilibrium with the resources develop, often

remaining stable for very long periods of time.

Fatma Said Ejkhuri

I’m 60, and I’ve been running

the plantation for the last

35 years, since my husband died.

Listen, I’m not managing the business

from up above. I actually work,

I use my hands. I open the channels

when it’s time to irrigate, I take

care of the animals and I watch over

the workers when they pollinate

the palms, harvest the dates and

extract the lagbi, the palm juice.

I sort the different qualities

of dates. The Tagiat rejects go to

the animals, while the first grade,

together with the Abels and Katharis,

I’ll sell to clients who come to buy

here directly, without needing to

take them to the market: Those who

know me know my dates are good!

There’s always something to do:

I come here every day, I leave home

at 6 am, I walk five kilometers, but

I’m happy to do it, not just because

this way I bring home money for my

family, but also because it’s good

for my health. In fact, if I stayed

home what would I get from it?

I would become fat and then when

it came time to bury me they

wouldn’t even be able to lift

me up! Better to work and be

surrounded by nature.

«

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THE DATE PALM

Native to Asia Minor, the date palm

has been known to man for 5,000 years.

For many ancient cultures it has served

as a symbol of prosperity and riches

(the Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians

and Arabs) or honor and victory (the

Greeks, Romans, Jews and Christians).

Particularly characteristic of desert oases,

date palms are found in hot, arid regions

around the planet, but are most common

in the Middle East, India, North Africa,

the Canary Islands and the southern

United States. The tree can grow up to

30 meters high and begins to produce

significant quantities of fruit from its

eighth year, reaching full maturity at the

age of 30 and beginning to decline after

80 to 100 years. Each bunch produces

between 100 and 200 fruits, and weighs

around 12 kilograms; each tree can

produce on average 100 kilograms of

dates a year. The name “date” and the

date palm’s scientific name, Phoenix

dactylifera, come from the Latin word

dactylus, meaning finger or toe.

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To climb up the palm tree, which over the years

can reach a considerable height, harvesters use

the simplest of means: hands and feet. Tough

calluses form on the skin after contact with

the hardened spines where fronds have been

cut from the trunk. The most expert

and experienced workers can climb even

the highest palms in just a few seconds.

Many use a simple harness made from a strong

rope woven from palm fibers, while others use

a more modern ladder. Some old and very tall

palm trees have holes cut into the trunk for

hands and feet, easing the climb to the top.

During the first stage of the harvest (between

September and early October), the harvesters

climb the palms several times a week to remove

the fruits from the bunches as they gradually

reach the right ripeness level, leaving

the unripe fruits to keep maturing in the

sun. So during this first part of the season,

selection takes place directly on the tree.

In the later harvesting stage (end of October),

when the falling temperatures prevent the fruit

from ripening further, selection no longer

takes place among the fronds, but on the

ground. Branches with remaining clusters

of fruit are detached from the palm and

the fruit is divided into first, second or third

grades. Rejected fruits are ground up to

feed to animals or used to produce alcohol

in non-Muslim countries. Dates that have

not fully ripened on the palm are left

in the sun for around a week before

being packaged.

HARVESTING AND SELECTING DATES

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THE VALUE OF THE DATE PALMThe Arabs have a saying, “the palm is our dear mother (al-umm al-hanuna).” Only its fruits, its wood and its leaves make life in the desert possible. Without palms, nobody could survive in such a harsh environment.

Whole civilizations have devel-

oped thanks to the date palm, and popular

sayings recall their importance: “In a house

where there are no dates, the inhabitants will

suffer from hunger,” for example. In the Mus-

lim religion, which has spread widely among

the desert people, great value is attached to

this tree and its fruits. The 19th Surah of the

Qu’ran tells of the birth of Isa (Jesus) and de-

scribes an image full of divine tenderness:

the Lord, Allah, comes to the aid of Maryam

(Mary) and eases her suffering during child-

birth with the fresh, ripe fruits of the date palm:

The Muslim tradition has also

passed down some hadiths, sayings of the Proph-

et, which confirm the importance attributed to

the palm in the life of the universe and humans:

And the pains of childbirth drove her to the

trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish):

“Ah! would that I had died before this! would that

I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!”

But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the

(palm-tree): “Grieve not! for thy Lord hath

provided a rivulet beneath thee; “And shake

towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree:

It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee.

So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if

thou dost see any man, say, ‘I have vowed a fast

to ((Allah)) Most Gracious, and this day will

I enter into not talk with any human being.’”

[Surah Maryam, 23-26,

translation by Yusuf Ali]

The Prophet Muhammad said,

“When doomsday comes, if someone

has a palm shoot in his hand

he should plant it.”

[Sunan al-Baihaqi al-Kubra].

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Date Palm Uses

Until a few decades ago, the

trunk, cut into thin sections, was used to build

supporting beams, doors, windows and stairs

in houses, while the woven branches, covered

in lime, were used for roofing. The leaves and

branches were also used to make fences to di-

vide agricultural properties.

A zeriba is a shelter built from palm fronds

(known as zerba in Arabic), where tools for the

fields could be stored. Also built out of palm

fronds, a cecabart is a clever circular hut in which

the hot air rises in the middle and leaves through

a chimney-like opening, making the hut fresh and

airy, rare and precious qualities in the desert.

Still today, skilled craftsmen transform

the leaves into vessels for storing food, everyday

objects, incense and jewelry as well as mats, hats,

belts and bags.

Craftsmen divide the leaves according

to the dimensions of the object they want

to make and dry them in the sun for a day.

When they are ready to use the leaves,

they soak them in water for half an hour.

Once softened, the leaves are woven to

form braids of various widths. The braids

are dampened to make them more flexible,

then tied together to form circular mats

used when eating on the ground, baskets,

food containers, lids and small jewel boxes.

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The tough fibers wrapped around the trunks can be woven into

ropes, which can make the harnesses harvesters

use to hoist themselves up the palms. The wood

not used for construction feeds the fires used to

cook food and heat the cold desert nights and

winters.

The apical dome of the palm can

be skilfully tapped to extract a juice called lagbi,

thirst-quenching, sweet and highly nutritious.

The cutting operation is very delicate, requiring

great care so as not to cut into the heart of the

tree and kill it. In the past the lagbi was collected

in a colocynth. This round gourd, typical of the

desert, has little flesh but makes an excellent

container when dried.

The fruits of the palm have long

been an essential food for both humans and

animals. Following the logic typical of rural ar-

eas or anywhere with limited resources, where

nothing is thrown away, the date pits (and today

the third-grade dates) were used to feed camels,

dromedaries and goats, giving their milk intense

aromas.

Eaten fresh during the har-vest season, and pressed or mixed with oth-

er poorer ingredients to be conserved for leaner

months, dates have always been central to the

diet of desert peoples. For the nomads and the

animals that allowed them to cross the desert,

dried dates were a vital energy-giving food able

to withstand the hottest temperatures. They

were also a precious commodity to be bartered

for grains grown along the coast.

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For centuries dates were a staple

food for the people of the Libyan desert, and

many recipes for date-based dishes have been

passed down through the generations. Dur-

ing feasts or special occasions, some families

still serve these dishes, but today’s lifestyles no

longer require the high energy supply needed by

those whose day involved heavy physical work

or crossing the desert by caravan.

The elders of Al Jufrah remember

when it was necessary to stock up supplies for

the months far from the harvesting period, and

refrigeration was not yet an option. Men would

crush the dates with their feet in a kind of vat, or

with a long, heavy stick in a karou (acacia-wood

mortar), while women used their hands and a

large, round, shallow vessel made of terracotta.

Some worked the dates without removing the

pits, because the seeds gave a particular pleasant

flavor. The paste was stored in terracotta ves-

sels or palm leaves and in the winter served as an

everyday food for families, its calories helping to

protect against the cold.

Today, pitted dates are still often pressed

for storage. Before eating, the paste is softened

in hot water and then modeled by hand into lit-

tle sweets, usually decorated with walnuts, al-

monds, pistachios or hazelnuts.

In the past, Libyan women used the date

paste to make basisa, a typical dish for Ramadan.

The dates were heated over the fire with the ad-

dition of oil and perhaps ground toasted barley.

Doba was made by mixing the dates with the ca-

sein obtained during the clarification of goat’s

milk butter.

Traditional Foods from the Date Palm

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Dates that are less fleshy, and

so less suited to being eaten fresh, can be slowly

boiled in water to make date juice. When strained

and further concentrated, the juice becomes a

syrup, called rubb, which can be drunk straight

or poured over a dessert made from ground bar-

ley, traditionally prepared for the religious holi-

day Mawlud, a celebration of the birth of the

Prophet. In times past it was also mixed with oil

or clarified butter (samen) and spread on bread.

During Ramadan, the sacred month of

Islam, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset to help

them remember that everything they possess

comes from God, and to symbolically identify

with the poor of the world by feeling hunger for

at least 27 to 29 days every year. Dates are a key

element of the evening meal, and the breaking of

the fast, whether in Mecca or Jakarta, Marrakech

or Istanbul, is marked by the call of the muezzin

from the mosque as the faithful drink a glass of

milk accompanied by fresh dates. Date syrup is

particularly appreciated as a beverage during this

time, as its high energy content can immediately

restore many of the substances needed by the

body after hours of fasting.

The milk-white palm juice called

lagbi can be boiled for many hours to obtain a

syrup that looks like dark-brown caramel, a

prized nectar reserved for special occasions.

Bread cooked in the ashes is a desert specialty,

and a piece dipped into palm syrup is a real deli-

cacy. In the 1930s the Italians fermented lagbi to

obtain palm wine, and Libyan families still make

vinegar from lagbi by fermenting it for 40 days.

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The European custom of eating dates

after a meal, particularly after the epic

feasts of the Christmas period, is not

recommended. Given their nutritional

richness, the fruits can weigh down digestion,

providing unnecessary excess calories.

The dried fruit is a highly nutritious food,

as shown by the many Libyans whose evening

meal is still just a few dates with a glass

of milk or the many European Muslims

who during Ramadan refortify themselves

after a day of fasting by drinking date

syrup or eating dates. All dried fruit is highly

digestible when eaten at breakfast, or as

a snack not too close to other meals, and

because of its high fiber content, it aids the

functioning of the intestinal system. Dates

make an ideal source of quick energy for

sportspeople, and their magnesium helps

muscular activity. Dates can be eaten plain

or in desserts, but they are also excellent

paired with cheeses, particularly flavorful

ones like goat cheese, Gorgonzola and aged

pecorino. Date syrup can help ease the

symptoms of coughs, colds and respiratory

inflammations in general.

NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS

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DESERT AND WATER IN CENTRAL LIBYA

The Al Jufrah region lies in central Libya, around 650 kilometers southeast of Tripoli. There is no one single oasis, but rather three main adjacent oases (Sokna, Hun and Waddan) within a radius of around 40 kilometers, and

two smaller oases, Al Fugha and Zellah, around 200 kilometers southeast and southwest from the main nucleus. The region’s significant water resources and loose soil has allowed the development of different groups of palm trees.

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The large basin of Al Jufrah (from the

Arabic jof, meaning belly or hollow) stretches

from west to east and is bordered to the south by

the spurs of the volcanic Jebel Soda, the basaltic

Black Mountains; to the northwest by the eroded

slopes of the Jebel Machrigh; to the northeast by

the Jebel Waddan, the Waddan Mountains; and

to the east by the Harugi Mountains.

The desert landscape is much more

than just dunes and sand. Here it is a vast flat ex-

panse of gravel (serir) or large pebbles (hammada),

interrupted by hills shaped like truncated cones,

smoothed by the millions of years since their for-

mation. The land is furrowed by wadi, riverbeds

now permanently dry but once able to fill with

water in just a few moments, becoming danger-

ous when sudden, heavy rains would cause flash

floods.

From above, the network of wadi looks

like a maze of lines intersecting the whole land,

their course easily traced by the vegetation that

concentrates along them, mostly tamarisks and

African acacias. The roots of the trees sink deep

in the ground in search of water and their leaves

become spines to limit the dispersion of moisture

and protect against animals desperate to feed on

their greenery. The acacias are so resistant that

on average they live for 200 years.

The average altitude of Al Jufrah

is around 220 meters above sea level, but there

is a considerable difference (around 60 meters)

between the area of Sokna and the eastern part

of the plateau, caused by ancient movements of

the Earth’s plates. Springs of water flow around

Sokna and feed the rest of the region, and Sokna

has long been considered the most precious wa-

ter reservoir in all of Al Jufrah.

The abundance of water just a

few meters below the surface has allowed the

cultivation of palm trees, which in the past were

rarely irrigated. There were around 88,000 trees

in the 1930s in Al Jufrah. Sadly, the Sokna plan-

tations, probably the largest with around 35,000

trees, were partially destroyed during repeated

clashes between Arabs and Berbers, who had one

of their strongholds here. In fact the story of Al

Jufrah has always been marked by the ongoing

conflict between various ethnic groups and raids

by nomads on more settled peoples, possessors

of the region’s only wealth: palm groves and veg-

etable gardens.

“Wild” palm groves, growing with-

out human intervention, draw out water with

their roots. They still survive today, after hun-

dreds of years, independent of people. But the

selected varieties of palms planted by people in

“gardens” are irrigated so that they fruit more

abundantly and produce softer, more succulent

dates. While production from an irrigated tree

can reach up to 80-100 kilograms, a non-irrigated

palm produces on average just 15-20 kilograms

of fruit. The palms can be irrigated using the tra-

ditional system, through a mesh of soil channels

surrounding every plant, or with modern drip ir-

rigation, which uses much less water.

The local people recall that up until

the 1960s the slopes of the Jebel Soda were green

with vegetation, and, like the whole surrounding

36

area, would become covered with grass as soon as

it rained, allowing the inhabitants of the nearby

village to raise animals other than camels. But to-

day the landscape has dried up, and the 1963-1964

season remains imprinted in local memory. Back

then, the peasants of Sokna rushed to the slopes

of the Black Mountains after the extraordinarily

abundant rains allowed them to plant even wheat

and barley. In the new millennium, rains able to

quench the earth’s thirst for at least a short pe-

riod of time come every three to seven years.

In 1938, an Italian observer was still able to

collect accounts of sporadic light snowfalls in the

region and to state that “the basin has inexhaust-

ible aquifers, at various depths” (Emilio Scarin

in La Giofra e Zella. Le oasi del 29° parallelo della

Libia occidentale; Florence, Sansoni Editore, 1938;

p.34). This kind of bold confidence would be mis-

placed today. Sokna still has the best water re-

serves, even though the water-bearing layer has

descended from 3-5 meters to 150-200 meters,

while for more than 20 years Waddan has been

drawing on fossil water, non-renewable reserves

left imprisoned in the earth’s depths (between

1,500 and 2,200 meters) by ancient geological

movements. This sulfurous water flows out at a

temperature of over 70°C and very high pressure.

It is left to cool in reservoirs before being mixed

with fresher water and pumped to the fields for

agricultural irrigation.

Censuses carried out by the Italians in the

1930s show that the population of the region

was then around 6,700 residents. At the start of

the 21st century, that figure had risen to around

60,000.

The local people were able to es-

tablish a way of life that was extraordinar-

37

ily well-suited to the harsh environment and

extreme hostility of the desert. Since ancient

times, these islands of green in the middle of

the sand were used by merchants as stopovers

as they traded spices, gold, salt and ivory. Over

the centuries the oases developed and grew

thanks to their function as staging posts, hubs

of traffic and communication for the Sahara.

They beame lively crossroads of different cul-

tures and sometimes birthplaces for important

civilizations.

The Al Jufrah oases, which for

centuries offered providential resting places

along the caravan routes that passed through

here, are today easily accessible by a network

of all-weather asphalted roads.

39

CARAVANS AND CASTLES

Our globe’s 29th parallel is one of those lines along which history has left deep traces. Some of the memories of what happened here have crumbled into the

sand of the Ghibli that “winds the sky into skeins” (as Mario Tobino wrote in Deserto della Libia) confusing the images of the past.

Since the remotest of times, a

caravan route has run along the 29th parallel,

connecting Egypt to the east with Fezzan to the

west and crossed by pilgrims and merchants on

camelback with their goods. During the journey,

the travelers would eat almost nothing but dried

dates, a food that could last for months even in

the hot sun, offering essential nutrition and the

energy needed for the tough desert crossings. It

was along this trade route that Arabs ventured

into the west of North Africa between the 7th

and 11th centuries.

During those centuries in which

the caravan routes determined the destinies of

whole geographic areas, Al Jufrah found itself in

a strategic position, located as it was along the

west-east route from Timbuktu to the Egyptian

Red Sea. The great pilgrimages along this route

would pass through Siwa, Jagbub, Jalo and Zellah

to reach central Sudan during the glorious age of

western Sudanese empires. The journey under-

taken in 1324 by Emperor Kanku Musa, accom-

panied by a caravan of 60,000 men, and the 1496

pilgrimage of Askia the Great are still famous.

Al Jufrah is also on the north-south route that

began in Tripoli, passing through Terhuna, Ben

Ulid, Bu Ngem, Sokna, Umm El Abid and Sebha

and stopping at Murzuq (the Paris of the Sahara)

before reaching the Niger River and Lake Chad.

Black slaves would be brought from Fezzan and

the desert regions even further south, passing

through Sokna before reaching Misurata, where

they would be traded for grains grown in the fer-

tile strip of coastal plain or goods manufactured

in the northern cities.

40

Detail of a Map of Tripolitania

(a former province of Libya),

Istituto Geografico Militare, 1911

The ancient caravan

routes are shown in red.

41

The caravan routes functioned because they could rely on the oases, while these in turn developed thanks to the commercial traffic. The water and shade of the oases which still today conveniently dot the roads would refresh travelers and their camels. Over the course of the centuries the miraculous abundance of water at oases like those in Al Jufrah convinced many travelers, merchants and later Arab conquerors and Muslim missionaries to stay for longer, turning these places into their permanent home.

42

By one of those strange analogies

that so often occur in human history, the settle-

ments that developed in the Al Jufrah strip of

Libyan desert bore a curious similarity to the me-

dieval villages that dotted Carolingian Europe.

A fort would be built on top of whatever high

ground could be distinguished in the flat land-

scape of sand and crushed stone. From here, the

horizon could be scanned for the potential arrival

of enemies and defenses could be organized. Just

as with a medieval European castle, the houses

of the common people rose up around the palace

in which the rulers lived, while the whole village

was protected by a sturdy wall with watch tow-

ers. The main roads would radiate out from this

hub.

The settlements of Sokna, Waddan and Zel-

lah, the oldest in Al Jufrah, were originally organ-

ized like this, and traces of the historic citadels

can still be seen today.

43

Waddan

The history of Waddan dates back

to before the Islamic era. It is said that two hos-

tile strongholds, Dolbaq and Busi, were built in

these hills, probably around 2,000 years ago. By

now they are long abandoned and buried under

the sand. The people who lived here grew figs,

vines and date palms, and according to the lo-

cal guides, they were “tall, much taller than the

Arabs who came later.” The inhabitants of Dol-

baq and Busi worshipped the sun god. They bur-

ied their dead in a fetal position with the hands

covering the face, turned towards the south,

the undisputed kingdom of the divinity. Perhaps

because of the limited resources, the two settle-

ments often faced each other in battle.

The ancient origins of the Waddan settlement

have been shown by the discovery of many kilo-

grams of jewelry and coins with pre-Islamic im-

ages on them, found during the excavations car-

ried out by the Italians in the 1930s when they

rebuilt the foundations of the fort.

Waddan, in the middle of the defensive line

that passed from west to east via Ghadames, Al

Jufrah and Jagbub, was probably the site of bat-

tles between the Romans and the Garamantes,

the native Berber population of central-southern

Libya. These legendary warrior-herders were de-

cidedly unwilling to submit to foreign invaders,

whether Roman or Arab. Their capital was the

city of Garama (now Jerma), close to the Idehan

Ubari desert, 150 kilometers from Sebha.

The castle of Waddan, surrounded by a sturdy,

winding wall and with a mosque at its foot, was

built in the 7th century by Arab conquerors from

the East who had come to convert the people of

the Maghreb to the worship of Allah. Waddan

and Zawilah (around 500 kilometers further

south) became key centers for the spread of Is-

45

lam. The houses of the common people also lay

within the walls of the Waddan stronghold. A re-

markable 35-kilometer-long underground chan-

nel connected a spring in the el-Bhallil mountains

to the fortress. The channel showed the rulers’

shrewdness, as it served not only to transport

water but also as an ingenious defense against

enemies. From the castle towers, the inhabitants

of Waddan could make out any strangers who

might position themselves at the foot of the

mountains, near the water. They could pass un-

disturbed through the underground channel to

the bottom of the well, where they would cut

the ropes the enemies were using to draw water

up in buckets, thus forcing the undesired guests

to move on elsewhere. This non-violent tactic

proved highly effective.

Waddan remained the capital of Arab Al Ju-

frah until the Ottomans moved the center of

power to Sokna.

Sokna

Sokna’s castle, surrounded by a wall, is

comprised of a few two- and three-story buildings

arranged around a well and a large courtyard used

in the past to keep troops and animals safe. Sokna

was long the political hub of the area, thanks to its

precious reserves of good-quality water. The Caim-

acans, the deputies of the Ottoman Empire’s Grand

Vizier and rulers of Al Jufrah, established and main-

tained their seat of power in the Sokna fortress for

all three centuries of Turkish domination, from the

start of the 17th century to 1929, when Italy defini-

tively established its occupation. At the foot of the

hill on which the castle rises lies the site still used

today for the daily date market.

Various 19th-century European explorers ven-

turing into the desert passed through Sokna, lo-

cated along the route into the immense Sahara.

Mentions of Al Jufrah can be found in the diaries

46

and travel journals of these geographers, who

had varying degrees of awareness of their role as

forerunners for successive political and military

colonizations.

Zellah

Zellah, whose origins date back

to a thousand years before Christ, is 160 kil-

ometers southeast from Waddan. The fortress

dominating the main hill, offering 360-degree

views of the desert and surrounding palm

groves, was built by the Italians in 1928 on the

ruins of pre-existing buildings.

The citizens who have heard tell of abundant

rains in the past dejectedly observe that today

desertification is advancing: The fortress’s well

has dried up and there are fewer and fewer

“wild” palms. The nearby palm grove of Med-

win, with some trees over 200 years old, used to

be called “the sister of Siwa” when it was just as

lush and luxuriant as the famous Egyptian oasis.

Unfortunately the hundred or so inhabitants of

47

Medwin were hard hit by malaria at the start

of the 1900s and today their mud-and-stone

houses are just ruins in the sand.

The Zellah palm groves were traditionally

fed by water from distant springs, carried to the

trees by subterranean canals built by digging a

successive series of wells, similar to the ancient

foggara system.

Dates have a long history and vital impor-

tance in this area. In 1947, following the Second

World War, a terrible famine struck Al Jufrah.

The already weakened people fought off dis-

ease by eating Zellah dates, the only resource

available in the whole region. At the time it was

a three-day donkey ride to reach Zellah from

Hun, Waddan or Sokna, but the fruits of the

far-off village proved to be a priceless treasure.

Even today, 1947 is still known as “the year of

the Zellah dates.”

A curious fact was recorded by an Italian ob-

server in the 1930s: Until the end of the 19th

century, ostriches were raised in Zellah. The

trade in their feathers was a source of income,

while the eggs, decorated with leather braids,

were given as offerings to the religious leaders

called marabouts.

48

Hun

The story of Hun is the story of a suc-

cession of towns progressively swallowed up by

the desert, and it has come to be known as “the

wandering city.” Though we do not know exactly

when Izkan (the “first Hun”) was founded, we do

know that the settlement disappeared five centu-

ries ago due to some sudden incident, possibly an

earthquake, flood or plague. The “second Hun”

was built during the Turkish period and remained

standing for 350 years until it was abandoned be-

cause of the sandstorms that relentlessly eroded

the walls of the houses. Around the middle of the

19th century the inhabitants wrote to the Otto-

man authorities asking for permission to build a

new town.

The result was the “third Hun,” which unlike

the concentric arrangements of the older villages

of Berber origin (Waddan, Sokna and Zellah), had

the square layout typical of Arab settlements. The

main road divided the town into two neighborho-

ods, animated by the same sense of rivalry seen

between the contradas in Siena. In a tradition si-

milar to Siena’s Palio horse race, representatives

from the two sides of the town would take part

once a year in a competition in which family affi-

liations were put aside and all that counted was

loyalty to your neighborhood. It involved a kind

of Greco-Roman wrestling, in which the fighting

would start between three-year-old children,

then pass from winner to winner before finally

reaching those in their sixties. This unusual com-

petition is today part of the lively folklore festi-

val, which fills the squares of Hun with music and

dancing for days. Locals are inspired to rediscover

their own traditions and this authentic festival is

far from an artificial construct designed for tou-

rists on the hunt for exoticism.

50

During their first attempt to

conquer the area, in 1914, the Italians establi-

shed their logistical base in Sokna, already a

center of local power for the Ottoman Empire.

That first Italian foray proved to be short-lived,

and it was only in the late 1920s that the fascists

managed to definitively occupy the region, esta-

blishing their capital in Hun. Seeing the abando-

ned state of many of the old town’s buildings,

the Italians distributed funds to the citizens of

Hun to rebuild the mosques. They also founded

the first research and experimentation center

for dates, forcing workers reduced to semi-sla-

very to move the dunes, carrying away piles of

sand with their hands in order to plant Kathari

palms, one of the most important local varieties.

The fascist rulers also dug an artesian well to

provide fresh water for the crops and drinking

water for people. The well still exists today,

though it is no longer in use.

In the 1970s, the “third Hun” was abando-

ned to the elements in favor of dwellings with

more modern comforts, like indoor bathrooms.

Today the old town is used as the picturesque

background for displays of local craftwork. The

area were the “second Hun” once stood has be-

come a favorite spot for picnics among the du-

nes, with views of the sunset and the marabout

(a place of popular worship around the tomb of

a religious figure).

53

Al Fugha

In the minds of many Europeans, the

word “oasis” conjures up a small corner of para-

dise lost in the sea of the desert. Al Fugha cor-

responds perfectly to this image. In the 1930s, it

consisted of 2,500 palm trees and a few hundred

inhabitants; today little or nothing has changed

in the rhythms of life, in the reassuring sensation

the shade of the palms provides to anyone pas-

sing through, in the feeling of finding oneself in

a remote spot in the desert, surrounded by impo-

sing plateaus.

The Al Fugha oasis rose up naturally around

a source of water that flows from the mountain

along a 500-meter underground tunnel to the pla-

teau, on which palms grew wild. Resources here

are shared, because private property has little me-

aning in a place where human intervention is so

insignificant compared to the work of nature.

Al Fugha built its fortune on the breeding and

sale of camels, used to transport goods in the de-

sert. Inevitably, the fortunes of this once flouri-

shing crossroads declined as the ancient caravan

routes were gradually replaced by asphalt roads

and the camels by powerful cars fuelled by the oil

that gushed abundantly from Libya’s sands.

Though no longer inhabited, the charm of the

12th-century village, built from stone and mud,

remains unchanged. Paths lead out to the houses

from the entrance gate, which was closed at half

past eight every evening to protect against unex-

pected visitors. Each house had its own well fed

by water from the spring, carried there by incre-

dible natural underground channels.

At the time, dates were a precious resource.

Dates harvested from the religious-owned grove

were kept in the mosque’s storehouse, which was

closed with three locks, their keys entrusted to

three different guardians. It was a way of saying:

to trust is good, not to trust is better. After all,

the fruits were destined for community feasts or

to help the needy, and everything had to be done

to protect them from theft.

57

LIBYANS DO NOT LIVE BY DATES ALONE

If you get tired of eating dates in Libya, there are plenty of other delicious traditional dishes with which you

can satisfy your appetite and curiosity.

A word of advice:

When visiting Libya, try to get an invitation to lunch at a family’s house. The conviviality of a meal shared with hosts whose sense of hospitality has been passed

down unaltered through the generations, and the attention to detail shown by the women in preparing and presenting dishes on splendid silver trays are pleasures – in our age, luxuries –

that should not be missed. Spending a few hours relaxing on the comfortable divans in the dining room of a Libyan home or in a Bedouin tent offers a restorative break for the body and mind.

58

RishdaRishda: Libya’s “national dish,” very thin

noodles handmade from flour and water,

with a sauce of onions, tomatoes, chickpeas,

meat and spices (black pepper, sweet paprika,

turmeric and cinnamon). The Italian presence

has left its mark in the kitchen; Libya

has numerous dishes of pasta in sauce,

generically called maccaroni.

CouscousOther typical North African and Mediterranean

dishes found in Libya include couscous

with mutton or chicken, stuffed vine

leaves filled with rice and spices and

a spiced soup (shorba).

BasinA kind of porridge made from barley, water

and salt and served with meat (or fish, along

the coast) and spiced vegetables.

MeatStewed camel meat, served

with a sauce over rice or couscous.

OsbanA sheep’s stomach, cleaned and stuffed with a

mixture of rice, aromatic herbs, liver, kidneys and

other kinds of meat, then steamed or stewed.

BreadVarious types of fragrant and flavorful bread: In

addition to fitat, there is also tammasi, cooked on

the inner walls of a terracotta oven buried in the

ground; tannur, cooked in clay vessels; taajilah,

a round and soft flat bread cooked under the

ashes by the Tuareg; and other typical breads

made from barley and millet.

FitatHard-wheat bread similar to Sardinian

carasau (the type from Ghat is particularly

thin and crunchy), layered with vegetables –

favas, lentils, zucchini, garlic and fresh tomato –

and lamb sauce.

DessertsThe typical Arab desserts, based on honey,

pistachios and almonds, are common here,

as are magrood, biscuits made from semolina,

flour, yeast and sesame seeds.

LIBYANS DO NOT LIVE BY DATES ALONE

61

THE SIGHTS OF LIBYA

If you go to Libya in search of the exquisite dates of Al Jufrah, here are some other archeological and natural attractions that should not be missed:

Tripoli The capital, with its blinding-white medina and the impressive

Jamahiriyya Museum, which contains finds from prehistory to the present day

and one of the largest collections of classical art in the world.

Jebel Nafusa Hills of constantly changing colors behind Tripoli,

dotted with Berber villages and qasr, fortified granaries.

Leptis Magna and Sabratha Two of the best-preserved Ancient Roman cities

in the Mediterranean. In Leptis Magna, the imposing ruins, backed by the sea,

are overgrown with fragrant Mediterranean herbs.

62

THE SIGHTS OF LIBYA

Cirene and Apollonia Ancient Greek ruins, showing Roman and Byzantine influences.

Bengasi The modern capital of Cyrenaica, whose architecture

still bears traces of Italian style. The lively suq of al-Jreed is well worth a visit.

Ghadames An oasis-village set in a desert of red rock, once an essential stopping place

for the caravan routes, protected by UNESCO and known as “the jewel of the Sahara.”

Ubari Lakes In the midst of the Sahara, these palm-fringed salty lakes

appear miraculously among the dunes of the Idehan Ubari, the Ubari Sand Sea.

Jebel Akakus One of the country’s most fascinating desert landscapes,

with mountains guarding prehistoric rock paintings from 12,000 years ago,

and the Tuareg village of Ghat built from clay bricks.

63

This publication has been produced as part of the Miglioramento e valorizzazione della palma da dattero nelle Oasi di Al Jufrah in Libia program for improving and promoting date palms in the oases of Al Jufrah in Libya, funded by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and coordina-ted by the Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare (IAO) in Florence in collaboration with the Libyan Board of Improving and Developing Olive and Palm Trees.

The project’s origins lie in the commitments made between Italy and Libya to strengthen and develop relationships between the two countries. The central go-vernment and local authorities in Libya share an interest in improving agricultural, forestry and pastoral systems. As part of the effort to support the agricultural im-provement of land cleared of Second World War surplus, the Italian government has begun providing assistance and collaboration in the agro-zootechnical and en-vironmental sector.

In Al Jufrah, activities agreed on by the two countries began in May 2009. They are aimed at encouraging local economic development through coordinated actions to support producers of quality dates, whether individuals or associations. The stra-tegy is led by two guiding principles: identifying and guaranteeing quality dates through production protocols that will ensure the consistency and quality of the final product; and protecting the agrobiodiversity of Al Jufrah by promoting the local palm varieties and strengthening traditional oasis-management systems.

The initiative involves all the actors in the date production chain, reinforcing asso-ciations and relationships between producers, processors and traders; encouraging the protection of the environment and raising awareness about quality dates among consumers. This last objective will draw on experiences in Italy promoting typical local products using the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geo-graphical Indication (PGI) systems, closely linking a product and its place of origin.

The aims of the Italo-Libyan technical and scientific collaboration are to increa-se the quantity and quality of date production through the selection and genetic improvement of local varieties; to introduce cultivation systems able to optimize the use of water and energy resources and reduce negative external effects; and to improve processing systems and marketing domestically and abroad.

THE PROJECT

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The coordination and technical and scientific supervision of the project are led by the Istituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare (IAO), an agency of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs with widespread experience in the management of international cooperation projects in rural areas and responsible for other bilateral agricultural and zootechnical programs in Libya. The IAO’s GIS (Geographic Information System) Unit is mapping the distribution of different palm varieties in Al Jufrah’s five oases.

The Libyan Board of Improving and Developing Olive and Palm Trees, founded in 1988, headquartered in Tripoli and with operational branches throughout Libya, is the local partner at an operational level and plays a key role in the program. Biological analyses are being carried out in its specialized laboratories, while its greenhouses and land are being used for field tests.

Project Partners

65

In a reciprocal exchange of skills and knowledge, Italian and Libyan experts in the sector are collaborating on studies of the systems and productive potential, with the aim of ensuring optimal use of water, energy and natural resources and improving the living conditions of the rural populations.

As part of the Miglioramento e valorizzazione della palma da dattero nelle Oasi di Al Jufrah in Libia program, departments from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Florence are working together with experts from the Libyan Board of Improving and Developing Olive and Palm Trees to facilitate the transfer of important specific skills. Researchers coordinated by the Genetics section of the Department of Agricultural Bio-technologies are using molecular markers to genetically fingerprint the date palm varie-ties. This information allows the tracing of their geographic origin and is essential to genetic improvement. Under the supervision of the Department of Plant Production, Soil and Agroforestry Envi-ronment Sciences, the biological and productive characteristics of the date varieties present in the selected oases are being identified. In consultation with the Department of Agricul-tural and Forestry Economics, Engineering, Sciences and Technologies, proposals are being drawn up for the mechanization of the fruit washing, storing and packaging processes.

The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, by virtue of its proven experience in pro-moting traditional, high-quality foods, is assisting with adding value to Al Jufrah’s dates and their commercial promotion. Specifically, in collaboration with producers, experts from the Foundation are defining the quality parameters for selecting the best dates. The Foundation has also produced this publication and a documentary on the oases and Libyan dates and will be helping producers participate in events organized by the Slow Food association.

More information about the topics explored in this publication and the issues dealt with in the Miglioramento e valorizzazione della palma da dattero nelle Oasi di Al Jufrah program can be found in materials available from the library and historical archives of the Istituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare in Florence and the following departments of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Florence: Agricultural Biotechnologies; Plant Production, Soil and Agroforestry Environment Sciences; and Agricultural and Forestry Economics, Engineering, Sciences and Technologies.

DESERT FRUIT

The Dates of Al Jufrah

09 / 2010

Desert Fruit The dates of Al Jufrah

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