Ghadames (Ar., Ghadāmis; Tamazight, ɣdames) is an oasis town in western Libya, close to the border with Algeria and Tunisia. It is situated in a desert environment but is irrigated by a natural water source, ʿAyn al-Faras, and lends its name to a district (baladiyya) , of which it is the capital, in the former province (shaʿbiyya) of Nālūt in Tripolitania. In 2012 the town had approximately 12,000 inhabitants. The history of Ghadames goes back to antiquity. The town has from the beginning been populated by Imazighen (Berbers) speaking