Cyrene, Greek Colony
Libya – due to its heritage and controversial past – is a country shrouded in mystery with curious travellers embarking on her shores eager to sample the eclectic and inherent infusion of Arabic, European, and African influences. It is the culture, history, and proud heritage that makes Libya a wonderful place to visit and this is none more evident than in the Greek colony of Cyrene – an ancient city that combines the best of the Greek and Roman heritages found so prominently throughout the country.
Cyrene, which lies in the fertile valley of Jebel Akhdar, was originally discovered in 630 BC as a Greek colony from the Greek Isle of Thera, and was even the seat of Cyrenaics – a famous philosophy school of the 3rd century BC founded by a disciple of Socrates named Aristippus. Cyrene’s commercial importance grew rapidly and the city found prosperity under its own kings, but by 74 BC, this territory had officially become part of the Roman occupation in Libya. The earthquake of 262 AD left Cyrene teetering on the brink of collapse before yet another devastating natural disaster in 365 killed off any hopes it had of making a full recovery.
Today, Cyrene is one of Libya’s most significant archaeological sites with visitors able to view the remains of a temple belonging to Apollo, which is purported to have been built as early as the 7th century BC, as well as a temple to Demeter and a partially excavated temple dedicated to the legendary Greek god Zeus. In 2005, Italian archaeologists discovered Roman statues in Cyrene dating from the 2nd century AD, and in tandem with an Italian University, the Global Heritage Fund, and the Libyan departments for Culture and Antiquities, a project has been set up to holistically preserve these ancient ruins and remains.
