LIBYA: Ancient and Modern

3rd -17th October 2008 with Chris Bradley

The Greek and Roman ruins scattered along the coastline of Libya are amongst the best-preserved in the world. Leptis Magna was the birthplace of Emperor Septimius Severus who dedicated many magnificent buildings, turning Leptis into one of the greatest cities in Africa. Together with Sabratha and Oea (modern Tripoli) it formed the fertile region of Tripolitania, suppliers of grain and olive oil to the Empire. In eastern Libya are the remains of the beautiful Greek city of Cyrene and its port Apollonia. Visits to Berber strongholds in the mountains and the desert trading city of Ghadames offer unique insights to this intriguing and revealing destination.

The modern capital of Tripoli lies on top of the ancient Roman city of Oea, and makes an interesting start on our journey through Libya. The best examples of history are contained within the walls of the Red Fort, home to the National Museum, a treasure trove of mosaics, carvings and objects from around the country. The old city, or medina, pulses with the heartbeat of trade and its souq is still as lively as ever. Outside the medina is the new city, designed during the period of Italian occupation at the beginning of the last century.

The Roman city of Sabratha is constructed behind the ancient harbour and it is still easy to follow the streets between the extensive forum and wonderfully preserved theatre, stopping off at one of the many bathing complexes with ornate mosaic flooring.

The major city of the region was Leptis Magna, which has no fewer than five triumphal archways, and is considered to be one of the most complete examples of a Roman city, anywhere in the world. The site is huge and we allow two days to fully explore every aspect of it, from early Phoenician foundations to the later Byzantine developments. Highlights of our visit are the Severan forum and basilica, Hadrianic Baths and the almost perfect amphitheatre. Nearby is the newly opened Villa Silene, with its display of wonderful mosaics, all in situ.

Eastern Libya is quite different to Tripolitania and has more of its history associated with Egypt and Greece. Benghazi has been destroyed many times in its history and today it is a modern port and city, but along the coast are the ruins of Ptolemais, an important city of the five linked trading centres known as the Pentapolis.
The greatest example of Greek influence is the beautiful setting for the ancient city of Cyrene, high up in the fertile Green Mountains, and said to have been founded by the islanders of Santorini. The site rises up the hillside along a series of ledges and is topped by an enormous Temple to Zeus, delightfully set within a forest of pine trees. Not far away on the coast is Cyrene's port of Apollonia, with most of the buildings to be seen being basilicas from Byzantine times.

No tour to this part of North Africa would be complete without a visit to some of the most important battle sites of the desert campaign of the 2nd world war. Tobruk was a strategic harbour that was fought over many times by Allied and Axis troops, and there are several cemeteries in the area, dedicated to the soldiers who died there.
Returning to the west of the country, we see another aspect of the varied culture by visiting the Jebel Nafusa region, home to the indigenous Berber people. In Gharyan we can see the troglodyte houses that have been dug into the ground, and further west are the amazing granaries at Kabaw and Nalut, built to store grain and oil for the Berber families.
One of the highlights of the tour is the drive south into the Sahara to Ghadames, a strategic meeting place of desert trading routes used for thousands of years. So important was it for trade, that the Romans even had a fortress down here to protect their supplies of wild animals and gold from West Africa. The old city is a maze of alleyways and tunnels, now designated a world heritage site, whose mud houses and unique colourful interior decorations are now protected.