Travel Story «Amazing Roman history site in Libya»

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0 Comments 10 June 2006 - Last Update 18 November 2006

Leptis Magna.... a magnificent ancient Roman town

10th  June 2006, we are arriving in Libya, a country that only very recently opened its borders to tourist. For many decades it was caught in political struggles, the passengers and the crew were very keen on visiting this place since this is almost unknown to the great mass of tourists.

I went on a tour to the site of Leptis Magna, one of the biggest sites of ancient Roman coties in the world and only about 30% is ectually excavated!!!

We take of from Tripoli, the capital of Libya, we drive for about an hour and a half before we reach this magnificent site, in the way you can say this country still has lots of work if it wants to attract a lot of tourists. A lot of dirt by the sides of the roads as we pass along, at some points you imagine yourselve going back into time while the desert is lures at both sides of the window.

Finally, after a good hour drive we come to the site and take off for a day of exploring, to be honest I didn't really know much about it as little is known about this country. 

We enter through an arch that is partly reconstructed and soon find ourselves on the streets leading into the center.... and pretty soon one gets the feeling of the grandour of the place, wonderfully preserved ruins everywhere!!! Remains of temples with walls so high they appear to vanish in the sky, the baths that the Romans were so famous were... even the toilets remain... remember the stories from history classes where they tell you they used to have communal toilets?? Well, here they are, you can alomost feel them sitting there... telling each other what happened during their day!!!!

Slowly, we stroll on, explore the town further and every corner has something new... squares, temples, statues, roads, arches.... everything is here!!! Truly a marvel, a wonderful discovery, everyone who is intrigued by this part in our history should pay this place a visit.... you will not regret it.