SABHA

also spelled Sebha, town, southwestern Libya, in a Saharan oasis. It was an active caravan centre from the 11th century. The modern town of stark white buildings and wide streets is surrounded by older settlements of mud-walled dwellings and covered alleyways. The former Italian Fort Elena, on a nearby hill, is now used for offices, shops, and a hospital. The town continues as a trade and transport centre, servicing motor caravans from Tunisia and Chad; it is linked to the Mediterranean coast by road and air service. Sabha has a date-packing factory, handicraft industries, teacher-training schools, and a national museum. Much of the town's food and water must be imported from other oases. A government project has introduced farms and improved irrigation in the adjoining oases. Pop. (1979 est.) 35,000.