Nalut

At the western end of the Jebel Nafusa, the regional centre of Nalut is home to another exceptional Qasr, as well as an old town tumbling down the hill. With its fresh air and good views it is a good place to break up the journey from Tripoli to Ghadames. The local restaurant here provides a good local cuisine offering variety of dishes and drinks.

In the town itself there are a few number of shops, along with a Mosque, Town Hall and Post Office, all a short walk from the town centre and main roundabout. The old town and qsar (fortified storage area) are visible on a hill to the east of the main roundabout. The qsar was once the old towns’ centrepiece, now it remains almost completely surrounded by the uninhabited remains of the old village that clings to the hillside. This qsar is the main section of an ancient granary. The gate is usually kept locked, but inside are small rooms used for storage giving the feel that Nalut was once a small, fortified village. The interior is strewn with old pieces of pottery once used to store dates, wheat, and oil. You can still see an old mill wheel, once used to make pure oil.
There are 3 mosques, with the “White Mosque” only one still in use today, but its rarely used or open to visitors. The Alal’a Mosque is Nalut’s oldest, with Arab inscriptions stating that it was re built in 1312.