Roman Grandeur - Leptis Magna
Libya has been shrouded in controversy for much of its history, but since the United Nations lifted sanctions against it in 2003, travellers from all over the world have embarked on her shores eager to uncover the mystery and history behind this proud nation. One of Libya’s biggest tourism draw cards is its cultural heritage with the country boasting three classical ruins landmarks, which are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city of Leptis Magna, which is an ancient Roman city, is one such venue and is one of the main attractions for those visiting Libya.
Leptis Magna is 100km south east of the capital Tripoli and is located on the country’s Mediterranean coastline. Leptis is the largest Roman city in Libya and its artifacts and remains are amongst the best preserved and most complete in the region; it further has the added benefit of not being as over-populated as some other Roman constituencies found in North Africa and Southern Europe. Leptis is believed to have been discovered as early as 7BC by the Phoenicians and eventually formed a part of the new Roman province in Africa that had taken control in 23BC.
Today, visitors privileged enough to visit Leptis Magna can view many Roman ruins including an old open-air theatre, which has magnificent views from the upper tier and features many ornaments and statues indicative of that era. Other attractions include the Hadrianic Baths, which is the largest bath house to be built outside of Rome itself, as well as the circus, which has only been partly excavated. The Leptis Magna Museum is also well worth a visit as it contains the recent discoveries of 5 colourful mosaics from the 1st or 2nd centuries AD.
