Until 11th century
Fezzan, southwestern Libya
Djarma was a major city of medieval Fezzan and probably the capital referred to by al-Ya'qubi. It flourished for several centuries and remained prominent until the sixth/twelfth century. Its inhabitants were Christians by 569 and were converted to Islam after the Arab invasion of 666–667.
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The Story
Djarma appears in the medieval description of Fezzan as the most plausible identification for the large capital mentioned by al-Ya'qubi. Its prominence reflects the existence of an organized Saharan polity whose political center was also a substantial urban settlement. The city therefore occupied a central place in the history of Fezzan’s state formation.
The city was not a short-lived foundation. It flourished for several hundred years after the late ninth-century account and remained active until the sixth/twelfth century. Its longevity places Djarma among the enduring urban centers of the central Sahara, even though the supplied passage does not describe its architecture, economy, or exact location in detail.
Djarma’s religious history is explicitly marked by transition. Its inhabitants, along with those of the other “castles” of Fezzan, were Christians as early as 569. They were converted to Islam after the Arab invasion of 666–667, linking the city’s history to the wider political and religious transformation of the region.
Until 11th century
Fezzan, southwestern Libya
Djarma was a major city of medieval Fezzan and probably the capital referred to by al-Ya'qubi. It flourished for several centuries and remained prominent until the sixth/twelfth century. Its inhabitants were Christians by 569 and were converted to Islam after the Arab invasion of 666–667.
Continue exploring
The Story
Djarma appears in the medieval description of Fezzan as the most plausible identification for the large capital mentioned by al-Ya'qubi. Its prominence reflects the existence of an organized Saharan polity whose political center was also a substantial urban settlement. The city therefore occupied a central place in the history of Fezzan’s state formation.
The city was not a short-lived foundation. It flourished for several hundred years after the late ninth-century account and remained active until the sixth/twelfth century. Its longevity places Djarma among the enduring urban centers of the central Sahara, even though the supplied passage does not describe its architecture, economy, or exact location in detail.
Djarma’s religious history is explicitly marked by transition. Its inhabitants, along with those of the other “castles” of Fezzan, were Christians as early as 569. They were converted to Islam after the Arab invasion of 666–667, linking the city’s history to the wider political and religious transformation of the region.
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