climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). Summers are very hot, with temperatures reaching 40ºC regularly. Winters are mild with a high diurnal temperature variation. There is hardly any precipitation in the year with low (32%) humidity, but sunshine is abundant throughout the year. Landmarks Sabha is famous for the Fort Elena castle, which is the castle featured on the reverse of the ten dinars banknote of Libya. Fort Elena was previously known as Fortezza Margherita, built during the Italian colonial period. Currently the Italian-built fort is a military institution. Sabha University is situated in the city. It has been involved with field studies in the desert. There are numerous irrigation canals, which are used to provide freshwater for growing crops. Transport The city is served by Sabha Airport, which underwent expansion in the late 1970s. An long railway has been proposed from Sabha to the port of Misrata for iron ore transport. Reports of slave auctions In 2017, The United Nations Migration Agency reported that Sabha had turned into a modern-day slave auctioning town. Each slave (mostly migrants from countries to the south of Libya, especially Nigeria) was sold for around US$325, with reports up to 1000 such sales each month. While this aspect of Sabha had been kept under check during the reign of Muammar Gaddaffi, it raised its head again due to the turbulence in Libya caused by the civil war. Most of the migrants came here escaping equally tragic conditions back home in Burkina Faso, Nigeria and other neighbouring African countries. However, the National Commission for Human Rights in Libya (NCHRL) revealed that the media reports of slavery were exaggerated and that slave auctions were not public, as suggested by CNN. The slave auctions which were discovered were revealed to be rare. See also List of cities in Libya Railway stations in Libya 2012 Sabha conflict Notes References External links Sabha map at WikiMapia Populated places in Sabha District Baladiyat of Libya