Awjila

Awjila (Arabic: أوجلة; Latin: Augila) is an oasis town in the Al Wahat District in the Cyrenaica region of northeastern Libya. Since classical times, it has been known as a place where high-quality dates are farmed. The oasis was mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484–425 BCE), who referred to it as Augila. Historically, Awjila was one of the ancient homelands of the Toubou (Goran), an Indigenous people, and was abandoned following a Berber invasion that occurred long before Herodotus’s time. The name Augila originates from the Toubou term Wajulo, meaning "lowland," and continues to preserve the oasis’s Indigenous linguistic heritage. Since the Arab conquest in the 7th century, Islam has played an important role in the community. The oasis is located on the east-west caravan route between Egypt and Tripoli, Libya, and the north-south route between Benghazi and the Sahel between Lake Chad and Darfur. In the past, it was an important trading center. The people cultivate small gardens using water from deep wells. Recently, the oil industry has become an increasingly important source of employment.