Libyan Customs

Islam is usually central to Libyan life, as it is seen in social practices.

Every day, Libyans are required to recite five Muslim prayers. Some other

traditional customs is that Libyans always greet guests with coffee or mint

tea. Guests are also offered food, due to desert traditions. This is part of

the Libyan code of honor. Alcohol and pork is forbidden by Islam, so

instead of bars Libya has many cafes with coffee and tea. In the evenings, most Libyans are found at

home with their family. Dress is a pretty sensitive area and women should cover themselves up using

long skirts or trousers and dresses not showing their shoulders when in towns. Also when passing or

getting an item with someone else, the right hand should be used. It is considered disrespectful to

openly criticize anyone; courtesy must always be shown in public. Privacy to Libyans is very important

due to political opposition to the government, which can be punishable by law. So Libyans avoid making

any public comments that may be heard as political criticism.

 Libyan Food and Clothing

Food:

Couscous is a very popular Libyan food. It is semolina wheat sprinkled

with oil and water then rolled into tiny grains. It is then steamed and put into

sauces or combined with meat and vegetables. The main meat eaten is lamb.

Most Libyan meals are eaten with karah which is flat, round flatbread. Dates

(small dried fruits) are commonly eaten as a snack, for they can grow in the desert conditions.

Clothing:

Girls in Libya wear brightly colored dresses, and boys wear casual jeans

and shirts. Men wear long white gowns worn over shirts and pants. Some men

wear black or white Muslim hats. Women wear long gowns a bit like the men. But

they also wear hair covering; their gowns cover both their head and body. In rural

places, Libyans wear more traditional clothing. Men of the Taureg tribe wear black

or blue cloaks that cover their hair, and faces for protection of the desert sun and sand. These people

are known as “the people of the Blue Veil” due to the blue clothing. It’s not unusual to see a mix of

theme of clothing in crowded places like the cities in Libya.

 Rock Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus

The rock art is located in a desert in the Fezzan, east of the city

Ghat, in Tadrart Acacus of Libya. The rock art is cave paintings reflecting

the fauna and flora plus the different ways of life of the populations that

lived in that region of the Sahara. These paintings were painted in a

range of 12,000 BC to AD 100. The people of different cultures painted what they did in daily life. They

were also painted to show the changes in history of the different culture that lived there. It is a lot like a

picture time line:

 The Naturalistic phase (12,000- 8,000 BC) included paintings of large animals like elephants.

 The Round- Head phase (4,000 BC) included paintings of the climate, and magical religious

scenes appeared.

 Pastoral phase (4,000 BC) included paintings and engravings of herds on decorated walls.

 Horse- phase (1,500 BC) included pictures of the domestic horse.

 Camel- phase (first centuries BC) including pictures of the dromedary settled.