Kufra
Kufra is a basin and oasis group in the Kufra District of southeastern Cyrenaica in Libya. At the end of the 19th century, Kufra became the centre and holy place of the Senussi order. It also played a minor role in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II.
It is located in a particularly isolated area, not only because it is in the middle of the Sahara Desert but also because it is surrounded on three sides by depressions which make it dominate the passage of the east-west land traffic across the desert. For the colonial Italians, it was also important as a station on the north-south air route to Italian East Africa. These factors, along with Kufra's dominance of the southeastern Cyrenaica region of Libya, highlight the strategic importance of the oasis and why it was a point of conflict during World War II.
Etymology
The folk etymology associates the word "Kufra" as coming from the Arabic word kafir, meaning "disbeliever" or "infidel". The term kafir originates from the Arabic root K-F-R, which means "to cover" or "to conceal". In Islamic theology, it refers to someone who denies or conceals the truth of Islam, with reference to the Toubou people native to the region.The association of the term Kufra stems from the early 19th-century context, marked by Arab-initiated tribal conflict and territorial expansion in southern Cyrenaica. Arab tribes—primarily the Zuwayya and Jawabis—sought to assert control over the region’s most fertile oases, a core area of Toubou settlement.
Contemporary accounts, such as those by the German explorer Friedrich Hornemann, who crossed the Libyan Desert in 1798, document the early invasions into Toubou-controlled territory. Hornemann refers to expeditions launched from Benghazi and Awjila, which was a repeated pattern of invasions towards the area he identified as Febabo—modern-day Kufra. The first Arab invasions, carried out by the Jawazi tribes from northern Cyrenaica in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, were met with local resistance and ultimately repelled.
A pivotal moment occurred in 1808, during the rule of Yusuf Karamanli, Pasha of Tripoli. After facing strong local resistance, Arab tribes sought military aid from the Ottoman authorities. In response, they were supplied with firearms and troops, leading to the occupation of the Kufra region—one of the Toubou's strongholds—by the Zuwayya and their allies. These military campaigns reportedly resulted in significant casualties among the native Toubou and Zaghawa populations and many were forced migrate from the region. However, Kufra never fully came under the dominion of either the Arabs or the Ottomans. During this period, Arab forces referred to the Toubou as kuffar, a term employed in military rhetoric and campaign slogans. Thus, it became associated with the region itself, ultimately giving rise to the toponym Kufra.
The broader region came to be known as Kufra, with al-Jawf frequently referred to by the same name, serving as both its administrative and geographic center. Historically, southern Cyrenaica was known in prehistoric times for its fertility and verdant landscape. In the Toubou language, it was called Tazer, meaning "greenland", a term also applied specifically to al-Jawf. Over time, the toponym Febabo came into use for the al-Jawf oasis, meaning "the one with the grand pits" in the Toubou language.
The region was also referenced by Friedrich Gerhard Rohlfs in 1879, who referred to the site as Kebabo. Rohlfs speculated that Hornemann had misspelled the name and incorrectly assumed it was derived from the Arabic Kufra. This was inaccurate. The name Febabo appears in several historical cartographic records as Kebabo, which is also incorrect. However, it has been misspelled even by the native scholars, despite its accurate meaning having been properly explained—leading to the continued use of Kebabo instead of the original Febabo.
Rohlfs further observed that the area was part of the ancient ancestral seat of the Garamantes. He noted, however, that he did not have the opportunity to consult directly with Toubou regarding the deeper historical context of the region. Furthermore, he reported that the Zuwayya were reluctant to disclose information about the earlier history of the Toubou in Kufra and kept it as very secretive. Because he did not ask the Toubou, he did not know the meaning of Febabo, despite it being a relatively simple and straightforward word. According to local accounts, the Zuwayya destroyed ancient Toubou sites in an attempt to erase their historical presence from the region—an action that further corresponds with Rohlfs' observations.
Similarly, Hornemann recorded accounts from the people of Awjila—primarily Berbers—who described Febabou '''' as a ten-day journey from their settlement. These are the same people, from the same place who are the Nasamones, who clearly provided geographic descriptions and oral accounts to the Greek historian Herodotus., offering early insights into the region's geography, which has led many travelers to become confused. Concerning the Garamantes, Herodotus' descriptions are contradictory, raising critical questions about the reliability of his ethnographic accounts. These inconsistencies in Herodotus's portrayal of the Garamantes challenge the accuracy of his claims and suggest a need for further investigation into the region's true historical context.
The term Garama–ntes, recorded by Herodotus, has meaning and it is deep rooted in Toubou which means literally "the sons of the speakers of the Ga language", with Ga being as a unifying designation for the Toubou language. The Toubou people continue to refer to themselves as Ga people and to their language as Ga, reflecting a longstanding linguistic and cultural identity that underscores their cohesion as a single people. The Toubou are also known as Goran, a name that is still in use today particularly in Sudan. In fact, these names are used interchangeably in the Tubu world, just like the ancient names Tehenu and Temehu, which the ancient Egyptians used to refer to the same people. It is attributed to them through their ancestors, the Garamantes—''Garama–nte—Herodotus derived their name from their city of Garama,. Over time, the term was distorted by Arabic speakers, who altered the original -ma ending to -an. In the Toubou language, ma means "sons". The Garamantes forebears are the Tehenu and Temehu, the ancient Libyan groups mentioned in early Egyptian records. In the Toubou language, the names Tehenu and Temehu literally mean "people of the southern land" and "people of the eastern land", respectively. The correct pronunciation of Tehenu as Tuhunu is derived from Tu meaning "land" and hunu derived from anou meaning "south", while Temehu as Tumuhu combines Tu meaning "land" and muhu meaning "east". Wherever the Toubou originated, the Zaghawa also came from the same place. Since the dawn of history, people have lived in groups, and the Zaghawa lived alongside the Toubou, sharing many common origins. The name Toubou is constructed similarly to that of their ancestors, with Tu meaning "land" and Bu'' meaning "grand", "great", or simply "big". Together, the name means "Grand Land", referring to their entire homeland that includes Libya, Chad, Sudan, Niger and beyond—essentially meaning "people of the great land" or "people of the grand homeland". The history of Black people in North Africa from Egypt to Morocco has frequently been manipulated. Similarly to ancient Egypt, the histories of Black people in Libya have been systematically distorted, marginalized, or erased—especially the history of the Toubou people and their ancestors. Their heritage has often been misrepresented by Western writers, and the Barbarians have also exploited biased narratives around the identities of the Tehenu and Garamantes.
Geography
Kufra is an elliptic shaped basin, oriented northeast-southwest. The major axis is, the minor long. It is bordered by hills which are at most 100 m high. The soil consists of red marl or sand and in the lowest parts there are salt lakes or dried salines.In the basin lie the following oases:
- Al Jawf, the largest, situated at the northeast end of the basin, long and wide. It is rich with palms and gardens.
- Buma and Buema, both small and situated to the east of Al Jawf. Gerhard Rohlfs set his camp north of Buema, and since then the locality is known as "Garet-en-Nasrani". Kufra Airport is located in Buma.
- Ez-Zurgh, situated to the south of Al Jawf. It consists of a line of Palm trees. Until the Italian occupation it was inhabited only by slaves.
- Et-Tleilíb and Et-Talláb, both situated to the southwest of Al Jawf. The latter is the farthest from Al Jawf, lying away.
Climate
Due to its location in the Libyan Desert, Kufra has a hot desert climate, with mild winters, very hot summers, a high diurnal temperature variation and almost no precipitation. The average annual mean temperature is, the average annual high temperature is and the average annual low temperature is. June, July and August are the hottest months, having mean temperatures of, average high temperatures around or higher and average lows around. January is the coldest month, with the lowest average high at, lowest mean at and lowest average low at.Kufra receives only of rain annually, making it one of the driest locations in the world. Humidity is lower in summer than in winter, with the summer months having a humidity of just 23% and December having a humidity of 48%. Kufra receives abundant amounts of sunshine, with 3689 hours of sunshine annually, with the most sunshine in summer and the least in winter. July receives the most sunshine of any month with 284 hours on average, while February and December receive the least with 262 hours and 266 hours respectively.