Bazyma Oasis, also known as the Healing Oasis, lies in southeastern Libya, in the heart of the desert. In its midst is a lake and a mountain covered with palm trees often called the Palm Mountain.

The oasis has long attracted tourists but its residents have also experienced a turbulent history, with two main periods of settlement.

Bazyma Oasis, also known as the Healing Oasis, lies in southeastern Libya, in the heart of the desert. In its midst is a lake and a mountain covered with palm trees often called the Palm Mountain.

The oasis has long attracted tourists but its residents have also experienced a turbulent history, with two main periods of settlement.

The most recent inhabitants of the oasis were the Zawiya Tribe, which arrived around 1890. They worked in agriculture and irrigation and were known to grow the best dates in Libya, according to Hilal Mohamed Janab Zawi, the former head of the town council in the oasis, which also had a primary and secondary school.

The Zawiya tribe lived there for 100 years until being evacuated by Muammar Gaddafi. In a 1975 presidential speech in Azzoyla City, Gaddafi responded to the residents’ demands to improve health services and preserve of the oasis. Yet Gaddafi’s government considered the demands unreasonable as the number of residents amounted to no more than 350.

After being evacuated in 1976 the residents were relocated to Kufra, 150 kilometers northwest of the oasis.

Earlier civilizations

Omran Zawi, Head of the Antiquities Department in Kufra said the oasis has been populated for thousands of years. “I have visited the area with many local and international historians. We have discovered several drawings and engravings which date back to thousands of years,” he said.

Gerald Rohlfs, who led one of the first expeditions to the Libyan desert from 1873 – 1874, described Bazyma Oasis in his book ‘Three Months in the Libyan Desert’ : “It has the charm of the desert and contains a dense forest of bamboo. The palm trees often reach the water. It is home for several eagle species.”

Stone Art

“The neighbouring mountain made it a good place for settlement ages ago. That made it one of the richest sites in stone art in South East Libya,” said Omran Zawi.

Zawi, the Antiquities Department head classified the oasis engravings in two periods: the cow period and the camel period. The oasis contains graveyards and circular buildings which are either supported with columns or built with blocks, which supports his theory that there were two periods of settlement in the oasis, according to Omran Zawi.

“The most famous site in the oasis is a camel area, which is an open space near the lake where most of its themes are related to animals with rare indications of human forms, stressing the importance and value of camels at the time.”

Other numerous mountain engravings show other livestock, giraffes and animals running to escape the hunters. All of these pictures and drawings date back to periods thousands of years ago,” he underlined.

Healing spring

The oasis’ largest spring is called ‘Al-Arbaa’ and spreads across 1,500 square meters. The lake has many other springs, which contributed to its survival despite the fact that large areas have dried out. In winter, it compensates for what it has lost during the summer.

One important spring in Lake Bazyma is a hot sulphurous one the temperature of which ranges between 70 – 80 centigrade. It is called the ‘Healing Spring’ where people visit it for treatment which is why the whole oasis has got this name.

Omran Zawi explained that the oasis’ rich natural resources distinguish it from others and give it a unique value, as it includes sweet water three meters deep. However, the lake’s water is not drinkable due to its saltiness.

Dreams of a renaissance

Janab Zawi the former town council chief, said the oasis had attracted the attention of King Edris El-Senussi as he sent a committee from the housing and education sectors to examine the area. “It was agreed to build 25 housing units, a school, a hotel and a hospital. In addition, an airport project was endorsed to transport visitors visiting the oasis for treatment.”

But all that was forgotten under Gaddafi. Janab Zawi said he would not give up his dream of returning to live in the oasis with his grandchildren. “I hope to see my grandchildren pay attention to the oasis and make it a better place.”