Travel Guide to Libya

Tripoli : Leptis Magna : Akakus Mountains : Ubari sand sea

Tripoli 

Tripoli, the capital of Libya, is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the north-western part of the country. Principally a seaport, this fascinating city is the leading commercial and manufacturing centre of Libya producing processed food, textiles, clothing, construction materials, and tobacco products. Having changed very little since its foundation in the first millennium BC, the city has a wealth of old and new monuments, representing many different periods of history, from the Roman Arch of Marcus Aurelius to the Turkish mosques of the medina.

Points of interest include the Natural History Museum; the Archaeological Museum; the Ethnographic Museum, with a collection of regional cultural artefacts; the Epigraphy Museum, containing inscriptions from the Phoenician, Roman, and Byzantine periods; the Islamic Museum; a Roman triumphal arch erected in honour of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century; the Karamanli and the Gurgi mosques; and a Spanish fortress dating from the 16th century. back to top

Leptis Magna

Located along the Mediterranean Sea, this ancient city began as a trading port for the ancient people of Phoenicia around 1000BC and then became part of the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis. Beginning in the 2nd century BC, Leptis Magna became involved with the Roman Empire for more than 600 years. During that time many buildings were constructed using Roman architectural styles which have made the city an important area for archaeological study since the 1920s. During the Roman period, Leptis was the Mediterranean outlet of a trade route through the Sahara into the interior of Africa. Its economy was based on agriculture and some of its products, particularly olives, became profitable trade items. By the 4th century, the desert tribes of North Africa had grown strong and they raided the territory around Leptis Magna. Initially, the city’s fortified walls saved it from being plundered. Roman authority in North Africa had grown so weak, however, that the Roman governor in the region would not help unless the city provided camels and provisions for his army. In 365AD an earthquake damaged Leptis Magna severely but the greatest blow to the city’s prosperity came with the invasion of a Germanic tribe called the Vandals about 455AD. By 534AD Leptis Magna had become part of the Byzantine Empire.  During this period of upheaval, much of Leptis Magna was abandoned. By the time Arabs were in control of the region in 642AD, the city was almost empty. Because most of the Leptis Magna’s fortified walls had been destroyed, the city was covered by sand over time. In the dry desert climate, the ruins of Leptis Magna were preserved by these sand dunes. Between 1920 and World War II (1939-1945), when Libya was an Italian colony, Italian authorities began to excavate the city. After the war, the British continued work at the site and since that time have discovered many well-preserved Roman remains. back to top

Akakus Mountains

Hidden away in the far south-western part of the Libyan Sahara, the Akakus Mountains are among the most spectacular anywhere in the Sahara. The dark sandstone has been carved by the desert wind into twisted chimneys and stacks, producing columns that climb from the orange dunes to give an almost Martian landscape. The area has also been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the hundreds of prehistoric rock art sites. These Neolithic cave paintings represent the animal life that was once abundant in the Sahara and there are drawings that extend more than ten thousand years that can still be found in this area. back to top

Ubari sand sea

This dramatic sea of sand dunes is perhaps one of the greatest sights in the world. The effect of the different light throughout the day creates shapes and colours that are an unrivalled treasure of the desert world. Along the southern border of the sand sea runs the Wadi Al-Hayat (meaning ‘The Valley of the Value of Life’), one of the most fertile areas of the Fezzan, which creates a spectacular contrast to its desiccated surroundings.  If one explores up Wadi Gebraoun, you will find the Ubari Lakes, an oasis of lush greenery and water set in the midst of this enormous expanse of sand. back to top