Ghirza: Mausoleum South-F

Ghirza: Mausoleum South-F

The cemetery recorded as Gh128 in Graeme Barker e.a., Farming the Desert. The UNESCO Libyan Valleys Archaeological Survey (1996) is better known as Ghirza's South Cemetery. It is less well-preserved than the northern cemetery. Still, Mausoleum-A and Mausoleum-NN are quite well-preserved. Of the other mausoleums, only the foundations are still visible, because the superstructures have been brought to museums. Mausoleum F, for example, is now in Bani Walid.

The shape of a tetrapylon resembles that of mausoleum G (now in the National Museum in Tripoli). The spandrels are decorated with sun flowers and fish. It may seem strange to find pictures of fishes in the desert, because they cannot have lived in the wadis. However, even in small desert lakes, little fishes can be found, although the ones represented here appear to be larger than those.

Ghirza, Mausoleum South F

Ghirza, Mausoleum South F, arch

Ghirza, Mausoleum South F, arch

Ghirza, Mausoleum South F, fish