[gawt, got] 
| 1. | a wide set of steps descending to a river, esp. a river used for bathing. |
| 2. | a mountain pass. |
| 3. | a mountain range or escarpment. |
| ghat also ghaut (gôt, gät) n. A broad flight of steps leading down to the bank of a river in India, used especially by bathers. [Hindi ghāt, from Sanskrit ghaṭṭaḥ, probably of Dravidian origin; akin to Telugu kaṭṭu, gaṭṭu, dam, embankment.] |
Ghat
oasis, southwestern Libya, near the Algerian border. Located on an ancient Saharan caravan route, it was a slave-trading centre and the object of European exploration in the 19th century. Ghat lies west of the Wadi Tanezzuft in hilly sandstone country, near the Jibal Mountains and the Tadrart plateau. A nearby offshoot of the mountains, Idinen, is a legendary fortress of ghosts. The town is walled and compact, with white houses, narrow alleyways, and covered arcades. It is inhabited by Tuareg peoples. Water, supplied by springs, is strictly controlled by customary law. Palm groves and gardens yielding cereals and vegetables lie outside the walls; livestock are grazed along the nearby wadis; and artisan industries produce rugs, baskets, and leather goods. Pop. (2003 est.) 22,800
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