View source for Germa

{{other places}}
{{Cleanup|reason=The article needs to be organised into sections.|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
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|official_name          = Germa 
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|image_skyline          = Garma (Garama) - Ruinen der antiken Stadt Garma 02.jpg
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|subdivision_name       = [[Image:Flag of Libya.svg|25px]] [[Libya]]
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'''Germa, Jerma, Jarma, Djourma, Djerma, Djarma''' ({{langx|ar|جرمة}}), known in ancient times as '''Garama''', is an archaeological site in [[Libya]]. It was the capital of the [[Garamantian Kingdom]].

The Garamantes were a [[Berber people|Saharan]] people<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tdm4CwAAQBAJ&dq=garmantian+mattingly&pg=PA381 | isbn=978-88-7814-594-8 | title=Life and death of a rural village in Garamantian Times. Archaeological investigations in the oasis of Fewet (Libyan Sahara) | date=December 2013 | publisher=All’Insegna del Giglio }}</ref> living in the [[Fezzan]] in the northeastern [[Sahara Desert]]. Garamantian power climaxed during the second and the third centuries [[Common Era|AD]], often in conflict with the [[Roman Empire]] to the north. Garama had a population of some four thousand and another six thousand living in villages within a 5 km radius.

The Garamantes often conducted raids across Rome's African frontier, the ''[[Limes Tripolitanus]]'', and retreated to the safety of the desert. In 203, [[Roman Emperor]] [[Septimius Severus]] launched a campaign deep into the Sahara and captured Garama, but he soon abandoned it.<ref>Birley, Anthony. ''Septimius Severus, the African emperor''. (2000), p. 153</ref>

While some sources assert that the city was conquered by  [[Uqba ibn Nafi]] in 669 AD,<ref>Salem Mohammed ez Zawam, "Mu’jam al Amakin al Jughrafiya fi Libia", Dar wa Maktabat ash Sha’b, Misratah, 2005, p.51.</ref> other sources{{Which|link=Wikipedia:Avoid weasel words|date=June 2025}} negate the claim that the city was conquered by Uqba ibn Nafi, suggesting instead that a peace treaty was concluded following a conflict between him and the [[Kanem–Bornu Empire|Kanem Empire.]]

Archaeological work at Germa has most recently been conducted by Prof. [[David Mattingly (archaeologist)|David Mattingly]]'s Fazzan Project, which has continued the work of [[Charles Daniels (archaeologist)|Charles Daniels]] and [[Mohammed Ayoub]]. The Fazzan Project has published four volumes based on its work, titled ''[[The Archaeology of Fazzan|The Archaeology of Fazzān]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Fazzan Project - Archaeological survey and excavation in the Sahara|url=https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/archaeology/people/academics/mattingly/the-fazzan-project|access-date=2021-08-17|website=University of Leicester}}</ref> Digital versions of these books have been made freely available under a policy of [[open access]] by the [[Society for Libian Studies]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Open Access|url=https://societyforlibyanstudies.org/open-access-ebooks/|access-date=2021-08-17|website=Society for Libyan Studies|language=en}}</ref> 

==See also==
*[[Garamantes]]
*[[Tuareg people|Tuareg]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat-inline}}
*[http://www.lexicorient.com/libya/germa.htm Germa - Lexiorient] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218071601/http://www.lexicorient.com/libya/germa.htm |date=2021-02-18 }}
*[http://www.tobysavage.co.uk/showgallery.asp?id=38 Toby Savage, photographer]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207154954/http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/~e118/Fezzan/fezzan_home.html Nick Brooks' Fezzan Geoarchaeology website]
*[http://www.temehu.com/Cities_sites/germa.htm Germa (Roman Garama)]

[[Category:Archaeological sites in Libya]]
[[Category:History of Fezzan]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Libya]]
[[Category:History of the Sahara]]
[[Category:Maghreb|~]]