Sabha, Libie

Sabha ( Sabhā) is a ceety in soothwastren Libie wi a population o 130,000.  It wis historically the caipital o the Fezzan region an is nou caipital o the Sabha Destrict.

 Owerview 
Sabha is biggit on a plain saund aurie next tae a picturesque Lake Gaberoun, surroondit bi palm trees wi dates, which haes made the ceety increasingly popular wi internaitional tourists. In addition tae traditional camel-ridin, hirin an drivin jeeps tae veesit the surroondin auries haes acome increasingly popular. Wi a relatively lairge population, an growin fast, Sabha's importance is due tae its bein the air an road transport hub o the Fezzan, a military base, an the centre o a remarkable agricultural industry in the desert.

Sabha is famous for the Fort Elena castle,Martin, B. G. (1984) "Ahmad Rasim Pasha and the Fazzan Slave Trade, 1881-1896" pp. 64-65 in Willis, John Ralph (ed.) (1984) Slaves and Slavery in Muslim Africa: The Servile Estate Cass, London, pp. 51-82, ISBN 0-7146-3201-5 which is the castle featurt on the reverse o the ten dinars banknote o Libie.  Fort Elena wis previously kent as Fortezza Margherita, biggit durin the Italian colonial period. Currently the Italian-biggit fort is a military institution.

Sabha is kent as the place whaur Libian leader Muammar al-Gaddafi annoonced "the dawn o the era o the masses".

 Military 
In a 2004 report bi the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Sabha base wis linked wi Libie's nuclear wappens programme.Griffiths, Katherine (2007) "Libya stalls on pledge to destroy stock of uranium" The Daily Telegraph 13 August 2007, p. 16

Seba Oasis, near Sabha, wis the test site o the OTRAG rockets, efter launchin wis nae langer possible in Shaba North in Zaire (nou Democratic Republic o Congo). In Seba Oasis on Mairch 1, 1981 an OTRAG rocket wi a maximum heicht o 50 km (31 mi) wis launched.

 Transport 

An 800 km (500 mi) lang railwey haes been proposed frae Sabha tae the port o Misrata for iron ore transport.Xinhua News Agency (2008) "Chinese win Libya rail bidding" International Herald Tribune 19 February 2008, Finance Section, p. 13 This railwey coud continue tae Niger an ayont.

 See an aa 

 Railway stations in Libie

 References 

Category:Populatit places in Libie