Abstract: | The Megarha are Bedouin Arabs leading a nomadic life with camels in the Fezzan, the southern province of Libya. Of the sub-tribes of the Megarha, four are of Bedouin origin, namely the Brakis, Bubaya, Gdura, Jiragma. The fifth sub-tribe, the Ahari, is an ethnic group of Negroid origin. The Megarha breed mainly camels, sheep and goats. They have a segmental system of social organization and practice the Sunni Maliki rites of Islam. They speak a Libyan dialect of the Arabic language. Sections: Geographical environment of the Megarha tribe - Water and settlements - History of Debdeb (the author made here an intensive investigation) - Three types of dwelling modes in Debdeb - Change in modes of pastoral life - Background of change - The field work was done in 1968. Notes, figures, photos. |