Founding of the city of Sukna

Since ancient times, human settlements have arisen around water sources, trade routes, or points of protection. These beginnings were simple, adjacent houses, bound together by necessity before being united by identity. Over time, this proximity transformed into a nucleus, and the nucleus into a complete urban entity. In the city of Sukna, we were guests of Haj Abdul Rahman Al-Ramram, one of the city’s notables and a witness to the evolution of architecture and construction from its earliest beginnings, through the accumulation of scattered settlements and palaces into a city. This evolution was driven by human interaction with place, the need for security, and the desire to express oneself through Sukna’s architecture, which transformed the gathering into meaning and the dwelling into an identity.

the Land-Attached and nature 

Attachment to the land is one of the fundamental concepts underpinning our vision of poetic geography and landscape. In our interview with Abdel Latif Al-Mahdi, a man deeply connected to the ravines and valleys of Sukna, the land transforms from a silent space into a living text, where mountains are read as metaphors, roads as stories, and valleys as an open memory.

In this engaging encounter, he speaks to us about his childhood and his profound emotional connection to the environment and the land as an extension of his being, and to his birthplace as the source of his identity, dreams, and visions.

The Sukna Palace
A fortress of water, people, and time

An interview with Mr. Mohamed Al-Ghazali, a prominent figure in the city of Sukna. In this field interview within the fortress’s courtyard and chambers, Al-Ghazali tells us about the Sukna fortress, the ancient customs and social system of its inhabitants, and how this citadel became one of the most important refuges for the region’s residents during wars and crises. The Sukna fortress in Libya is considered one of the most important historical landmarks, dating back to the 15th century. It is part of the region’s heritage, which is distinguished by being a major source of fresh water in the Jufra region. The stone fortress also forms an integral part of the natural archaeological landscape of the mountainous area surrounding Sukna.

Agriculture and connection to the land

Agriculture is not merely food production; it is a cultural and civilizational system that has shaped the relationship between people and their land, forming collective memory and defining seasons of joy and work. At its most symbolic, agriculture represents a belief in the future, for every seed planted in the soil is a promise of life. In the city of Sukna, during our fieldwork exploring the inscriptions in the valleys, our first stop was the farm of Haj Youssef Bashir, who shared his personal experience with agriculture and date palms, and his longing for the land, far removed from city life.