The city of Sabratha is located on the Mediterranean coast, one hour drive west of Tripoli . It was founded by the Canaanites in the 6th century B.C amongst the walls and foundation of public buildings discovered in the city are the market, tribunal area, and some temples.


As was the case with other cities of Tripolis, Sabratha was under the domination of Carthage, the main Phoenician settlement in Tunisia till 146 B.C.

After the Canaanite (Phoenicians) in Carthage were defeated, Sabratha was occupied by the Greek (Hellenistic settlers) and then by the Romans in 46 B.C. The public arenas, the Temples of Liber Pater, Sirapis, Isis and Hercules, the forum, the theatre, the tribunal arena, and the public baths are considered among the most prominent features of the city during Roman times. Remains of the earliest Phoenician settlements have been found beneath the Roman town in the area between the forum and the sea.

Sabratha prospered during the third century A.D., and became famous as trading place for the ivory coming from central Africa, though Ghadames and Fezzan.

The city was abandoned after its destruction by the Vandals who invaded North Africa from Europe.


In the year 533 A.D. the Byzantines occupied the city and rebuilt much of it. An outer wall was built around the perimeter, as well as famous of which being the church of Justinian with its fine decorated mosaic floors.

Sabratha lost its importance with the advent of Islam in the region ( 642 A.D), and Tripoli became the most important trade centre in western Libya.

Leptis Magna was founded by the Phoenicians at the mouth of Wadi Libda in about 1000 B.C and it was known by this name to distinguish it from Leptis in Tunisia.

Libda considered one of the oldest Phoenician settlements in North Africa. It prospered through a lively trade in gold. Ivory and wild animals. Libda lies 3 km east of the city of Al-Khums.

In pre-Islamic times it was the capital of the three cities known as Tripolis: Leptis Magna, Sabratha and Tripoli (Oea). For six centuries, the city of Leptis Magna was used as an anchorage by Phoenician ships from Tyre and Sidon during their voyages in the Mediterranean… after the Canaanites, came the Romans (75 B.C) who built monuments and various public buildings, including a market place, theatre, temples, baths, a race track, a wrestling arena, triumphal arches and decorated mosaic floor. In the Byzantine era (533 A.D) an outer wall and some churches were built.
Most of the ruins that can be visited today show a Roman architectural design. The two main roads of the city, (Cardo Maximus) running north south and (Decama Maximus) running east west are bordered on either side by the various square and rectangular shaped districts.

The peak of Leptis Magna's architectural splendour, can be placed at about the 2nd century A.D when Septimius Severus was elected Emperor and raised his native city to the dignity it deserved.
During the war between Rome and Ugarta, Leptis Magna remained loyal to Rome, a choice which was to link it to the Empire, and lead to its slow and inevitable decline.
Precious collections from the various civilization that existed around the city of Leptis Magna are portrayed in the museum that forms part of the archaeological site.

Tripoli (At- Trablus in Arabic) is Libya's largest and most cosmopolitan city. Set on one of North Africa's best natural harbours, the city exudes a distinctive Mediterranean charm infused with a decidedly Arab/Islamic flavour. With such a rich mosaic historical influence, few travellers leave disappointed.

Tripoli was worn many guises throughout history. The ancient Oea of Roman antiquity yielded an Islamic city fought over by successive North Africa dynasties. Later Turkish and Italian influence gave birth of a charming white city of elegant facades, which earned the city the sobriquet of the 'White Bride of the Mediterranean'. Tripoli was the ultimate destination of ancient trance-Sahara caravans and the gateway to the unexplored riches of Africa. In more recent years, Libya's oil wealth has seen it become the destination of many sub-Saharan Africans in search of their own El Dorado.


The disparate civilisations that have occupied the city have all left their marks, from the Roman Arch of Marcus Aurelius and the Turkish mosque of the medina to Italianate villas fronted by palm trees along the water front. Every era of Libyan history is also showcase in the Jamahiriya a Museum. An undoubted highlight of man visit to Tripoli will be the hours spent wandering throughout the medina with its meandering souques and beautiful facades, every one of which is signpost of history.

Away from the medina, especially to the west of the city in Gargaresh, is an entirely different Tripoli - a modern city well adapted to the demands of the 21st century.

The Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya is situated in the northern part of Africa between longitude 9°E - 25°E and latitude 18°N - 33°N and possesses a Mediterranean coastline of approximately 2,000 kilometres in length which is well indented with harbours, bays, sandy beaches and rocky caves.

It has a Common frontier with Egypt to the east, Sudan to the south-east, Chad and Niger to the south and with Algeria and Tunisia to the west and north-west respectively.

Libya has an area of approximately 1,750,000 sq km (the third largest country in Africa), and a population of about 5 million.

This strategic location has made Libya throughout the ages a link between the eastern, western and central regions of Africa and the ancient's gateway to Europe.

Libya is a desert country which experiences hot dry summers and mild winters. The areas of highest rain fall are along the coastal plains around Tripoli in the west of the country and in the Green Mountains in the east of the country.

In the west, lies the Jeffara Plain with the largest city Tripoli. Around the Gulf of Sirte lies the coastal plains of Misratha and Sirte. Libya's second largest city Benghazi lies in the coastal Benghazi plain. In the far east lies the Marmarica plain with its main city Tubrok

Al-Jabal Al-Gharbi and Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar mountains are the main high relief areas north of latitude 30°N. Al-Jabal A1-Gharbi runs in an arc from near Al-khoms, in west Libya, to south of Gabes in Tunisia, and has an elevation of 300-600m. Together with the Jeffara plain, this beautiful western part of Libya houses 70% of the total population of the country.

The Green Mountains (Jebel Al-Akhdar) lies between the Benghazi plain and the Marmarica plain. Its elevation is 400-600 metres and it has the highest rainfall figures in Libya. It is one of the most scenic parts of the country

To the south of latitude 30°N, lies the transitional desert low-level area of Al-Hamada Al-Hamra to the west, with Ghadames (The Jewel of the desert), to its far west, and Al-Jufra depression in the middle with its three main City-oases of Houn, Waddan and Sokna. These areas are renowned for their mild climate and abundance of water springs and palm trees. AlJufra is embraced by the volcanic mountains of Al-Huruj, A1-Hasawna and Assawda.

The eastern part of transitional zone contains the Sea of Sand of Ramalat Rabyana and Al-Sarir, that extends south-east ward to AlKufra. This shifting sand dune region has some beautiful oases at Jalu, Ejdabia, Bazimh and Ojla, where travellers can spend some time in quiet and peaceful surroundings

Fezzan region, with its main city Sebha, comes south of A1-Jutra region. It houses many ancient places, as Germa, home of the ancient Libyan pre-historic art works. Idhan Ubari and Idhan Murzuq surround Wadi AlHayat and Al-Shati regions and make two of the most extensive sand sea areas of The Great Sahara.

In the far south of the Great Jamahiriya rises the highest mountain in the country, Tibesti (3000 in). In the south-eastern corner of Libya, nature lovers may enjoy hiking Al-Awainat mountain, with its water springs and beautiful scenery, while far to the west lies the Acacus chain of mountains embracing the oasis-city of Ghat, the land of the Tuareg and home of the oldest civilization in Libya.

In the mountains of Tadrart, Acacus, Msak-Millet and Msak Stafit, visitors will enjoy studying the rock engravings and drawings. These reflect the great civilizations that flourished in the region thousands of years ago.

GENERAL INFORMATION


The name "Libya" was probably derived from "Libu", one of the ancient tribes, but the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, as it is now known, is the modern name for a country as old as human history. Libya has contributed to Man's heritage as various cultures and civilizations have flourished in this area since the emergence of Mankind. The prehistoric art work and engravings in rock shelters of Tadrart, Matchandoush and Acacus mountains provide evidence of one of the oldest civilisations on earth.

Throughout the ages, control of Libya was a prerequisite to domination of the Mediterranean, and for this reason all the various powers that at some time or another held sway over the Mediterranean exercised control over Libya. ...The long list of Libya's colonisers and conquerors, Persians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Spaniards, the Knights of St. John, Ottomans, Italians, and finally the British, indicates the important role that Libya has played in the moulding of African, Arabic and Mediterranean history.

The Phoenicians, coming from Tyre and Sidon, developed a civilization that flourished in Oea ('Tripoli), Sabratha (Sabrata) and Leptis Magna (Libda) under the domination of Carthage, while the Greeks, coming from the island of Thera, settled in Cyrene (Shah'hat) and the surrounding areas. After the death of King Alexander the Great in the early part of the 4th century B.C., Greek domination of eastern Libya was weakened, and the way became open for the Romans to invade the country. In the Year 74 B.C., Libya became a Roman colony.

The Vandals occupied southern Europe and then crossed into North Africa in 429 A.D., with Libya becoming once again the victim of a foreign invader.

The Byzantine Christians conquered North Africa in 534 A.D., and ended in 642-643 A.D., when the Arab Muslims came to Libya to spread Islam, and Libya became a part of the Islamic world. After the fading of the great Arab Caliphats, the Ottoman Empire ruled Libya from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, except for a hundred and twenty four years of Caramanli rule.

In 1911, Libya was colonised by the Italian. The Libyans courageously resisted the colonisation for more than 20 years. Omar Mukhtar was one of those Libyans, considered a national hero and one of the great freedom fighters of the Arab world, who sacrificed his life for the sake of his country.

At the end of the Second World War (1945), Libya remained under allied occupation. The Americans, British and French took the place of Italy, putting Libya under their domination and establishing military bases

Libya gained its independence in 1951 and became a kingdom under the rule of King Idris. In 1969, a revolution was carried out by a group of officers in the Libyan army who wanted to realize the Libyan people's dream of a prosperous, developed country, free of foreign control. Thus Libyans, were at last able to manage their own destiny.