Libya
- Cultural Tours and Desert Adventures - tailor-made holidays
NEW: A group tour is scheduled for Friday, October 31st - Sunday November 9th |
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Grand Tour of Historic Libya - 10 day version, 4* hotels |
Libya's main places of interest
Akakus - Tadrat
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The Akakus is a vast Rupestre Museum situated in the mountainous region east of Ghat. It is ploughed with a great number of wadi (dried beds of the prehistoric waterways). The valleys, whose rocks are formed by ancient sands, divide themselves into various plateaux of various heights covered with grey-black breccia. On the east and southeast side, the Tadrat, is a steep slope formed of scattered rocks, headlands, pathways and turrets which barely rise from the rubble and debris. The biggest wadi on the exit of the Tadrat is named Takhisset, the mass of sand dunes forces its path north between the Erg and the Akakus where it consequently takes on the names of Ouan Eillel, Ouan Kassa and Taita; its tracks are then lost in the sands before the Ubari Erg. |
Albyda
Nicknamed as its name indicates ‘The White’, Albyda is one of the most important centres in the Jebel Akhdar region: a modern town, it is the departure point for all the excursions to Cyrene and Apollonia. If one arrives from the wadi Kuf road you enter the town by the main road and immediately on the right come to a beautiful building which houses the university: at first glance it could be an Ottoman Mosque but in fact it is one of the most frequented schools in the country. As well as the university Albyda is famous for the Zawai (religious and theology school), the most ancient of the Cyrenaica, founded in 1843 which was the cradle of Senussia dynasty until 1855.
Apollonia
Apollonia (the Cyrene port active from 7th century B.C), takes its name from its protector the God Apollo. At that time a port of great importance because of its position on the sea it was less exposed than the inland towns, like Cyrene, to the attacks of the indigenous population, the Libi. Its name was changed to Sozousa (The Saviour), probably deriving from the worship of a so called God there which is where its modern day name Susa comes from. Most of the monuments visible today date to the Roman Imperial and Byzantine time, there is still little of the Greek town uncovered - the most part being immersed under the sea. When the town was hit by violent earthquakes in 365 and 400 A.D many of the Roman buildings were destroyed giving the architects of the 5th century A.D the materials (columns, pillars and blocks of stone, etc.), to reuse for the new constructions, in particular to build places of worship, basilicas.
Awinat
At one time it is thought that Awinat was an ancient qasr left to ruin, the French explorer Duveyrier attributed its construction to the Garamentes. A lost oasis with a great tree in the middle where a spring of considerable volume rises, from the surprisingly, if somewhat salty, fertile ground. The smaller water canals flowed to irrigate the crops of cereals grown at that time, hence the reason why the Arabs called this place Al Awinat (the springs).
Bengahzi
The oldest settlement in the Bengahzi region dates back to the 6th century B.C and was known as `Euesperides’. During the Ptolemaic period Bengahzi’s people were moved to an area closer to the sea (where later on the actual Benghazi grew into the town it is today), and was known as Berenice. Modern day Bengahzi is one of the most important commercial towns in Libya thanks to its port, with one of the highest populations along the Cyrenaica. Skyscrapers and hotels mirror themselves in the artificial sea water lake - named Buzeena Al Magreen, which occupies one side of the town whose water arrives directly from the port.
Cyrene
History informs us that the town of Cyrene was founded in 631 B.C by emigrants from the crowded island of Thira (modern Santorini) when they were commanded by the oracle at Delphi to seek a new home in North Africa. Cyrene became one of the greatest intellectual and artistic centres of the Greek world, famous for its medical school, learned academics and architecture, which included some of the finest examples of the Hellenistic style.
Desert Camp Sites
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Awbari Camp: 30 tents Murzuq Camp: 20 tents Akakus Camp: 20 tents Tents are built up in half a circle around a central camp fire and Bedouin tent. The entrance of each tent faces the middle of the camp, whereas the back of each tents look out over the landscape via a little window. |
Edhan Kasa
Its sand dunes reach down south east towards the Algerian border. They are a pleasant surprise after travelling through rocky valleys and plateaux, their white, free falling sand makes travelling easier, every now and then one finds areas of flintstone and sandstone.
Edhan Murzuk
Edhan Murzuk is a vast plateau of sand, rock and prehistoric rock formations. The sand dunes are fascinating during sunrise and sunset, collecting all the colours that orange and yellow can make, a photographers dream. The erg is vast and makes an ideal place to set up camp.
Eminanigh Well
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This well is found at the entrance to Tashwinet. A place used by the tuareg to refurbish their water supplies and now used by the modern day traveller to rest, get cleaned up and refill their water supplies before continuing the journey into the desert. |
Gaberoun
The lake and the ancient village of Gaberoun are situated at an altitude of 400m. The Gaberoun lake originally known as`Bahr ed Doud’ (sea of worms), is found north of the village of Bendbeiya at approx 41km into the Erg. A small abandonded village of a Libyan black community lived there until the early eighties until modern life obliged the authorities to move the village to a new modern village built exclusively for them. This population used the worms living in the lake as their main source of food.
Germa
The Garamentes, legendary and mysterious population of the Libyan Sahara founded the oasis–town of Germa (known at that time as Garama). They were famous for their travelling through the Fezzan Wadi on their horse drawn carts, for the ploughing of the land and for riding oxen with giant horns. One thing we know for sure is that the Garamentes were Roman enemies and probably the allies of the Carthaginians. They controlled the desert caravan trade from Ghadames south to the Niger River, eastward to Egypt and west to Mauritania. Their wealth and technical skill are also attested to by the remains of their towns, which were built of stone and more than 50,000 of their pyramidal tombs. |
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Ghadames
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Situated at the beginning of the Sahara, Ghadames is an ancient caravanning centre. The city is still a ‘living bridge between traditional and contemporary architecture’ in the whole country. The Ghadames oasis forms a part of the sub region of Gharyan, one of the five sub regions of the Tripoli region. Moreover, it is one of the most important trade routes, connecting central Africa with the Mediterranean sea coast. One story records that a party of travellers from Yemen passed through the valley where Ghadames is located. They stayed overnight and when they moved on in the morning, they forgot their food container, later they remembered the container and they recalled that they had left it behind where they had eaten their lunch the previous day. A horseman of the party came back to the place to find the container, the horse dug with his leg in the earth and water came out and for this reason, the source of the existing spring is called “horse spring” (Eyn El- Faras). This story explains the origin of the name Ghadames which means ‘lunch of yesterday'. The Arabic name contains two words Ghada which means lunch or food and Ames which means yesterday. It has been inscribed on the World Heritage list of historic monuments by UNESCO since 1987. |
Gharyan
At one time Gharyan was known as Gasr Garyan which means `the castle of caves’, it reflects the unique style of building which was typical to the Berbers called Troglodite’. This type of building was entirely dug out of the rock face,with tunnels dug out of the embankment taking you to a central courtyard connecting in turn to the surface meaning that either in summer or in winter there was always a constant temperature. Today Gharyan remains an important centre of the Jebel (mountain) which carries its name Gharyan.
Ghat
| Ghat is known as the last oasis. After Ghat you enter the desert region of the Akakus - miles and miles of sand and rock formations. The old town `The Medina’ of Ghat is more or less uninhabited today with only a few families remaining within the ruins. The old houses were built of terracotta bricks (dried under the scorching sun) and painted white using the limestone abundantly found in this region. Its passageways and narrow streets resemble those of Ghadames, however here one breathes in the Sahara of a much stronger atmosphere. It is dominated by Mount Koukemen which overlooks the historic fortress of Ghat. The three mosques here are still all used by the locals, with a small and curious building acting as a museum. |  |
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Kabaw
Found on the return route from Ghadames to Tripoli, Kabaw holds what is left of an ancient Berber Granary. The granary is situated on the western side of the old town which is today uninhabited. One side wall of the granary is in ruins however the structure is fascinating with the actual container space still intact of where the grain and cereals were kept. In its time Kabaw was an important centre for the Berber resistance against the Arabs.
Lakes
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Southeast of the Ubari Erg, north of the valley of Wadi Adjal is Dauada, the region which contains a series of lakes situated in the middle of sand dunes surrounded by palm trees. There are approximately 21 lakes spread out over this region. The most famous lakes are found in the south Mandara, Um el ma, Gaberon and Mafo with Um el Hassan being the biggest lake found here. |
Lathrun
Lathrun contains a well-preserved Byzantine church. The western church stands on a bluff above the Mediterranean and must have been a spectacular place to worship. Less dramatic is the eastern church which lies over the hill.
Leptis Magna
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Leptis Magna is one of the best preserved cities of antiquity, it is one of three famous cities in the Tripoli region (Greek - “Tripolis” means “three cities”). The other two cities are Oea (now known as Tripoli), and Sabratha. Known as Magna, meaning The Great, to distinguish it from another city of the same name near Carthage known as Leptis Minor. Leptis Magna was founded by the Phoencian merchants around 1st millennium B.C who used it as a trading station and occasional habour. Leptis rose to its peak of prosperity under the rule of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D Libyan born). This prosperity continued during the rule of the Severan Dynasty until 235 A.D. The assassination of Alexander Severus (222-235 A.D), left the Roman Empire in a state of confusion for some fifty years until the accession of the Emperor Diocletian (284-305 A.D). He and his successor Constantine (307-337 A.D) both worked hard to prevent the collapse of the empire. In 469 A.D the Byzantine Emperor Leo succeeded in crushing the Vandal King Genseric and the great commander Belisarius reclaimed North Africa in 534 A.D for the Byzantine Empire and it remained under their rule until 643-644 A.D when it was ended by the Islamic Arabic conquest. |
Makthandush
A deep rocky valley (wadi Makthandush), seems as if it has been carved with a giant hoe, it’s a frontier between the barren plateaux of the Messak Settafet and the stretch of land towards the sand dunes of Edhan Murzuk. Once a region of rivers and streams where hippopotamus and crocodile reigned and where elephants and giraffes roamed; now it is an arid and barren land where everything and everyone has left to escape the advancement of the desert. What remains are the unique Rupestre paintings that tell us that this ancient fertile world really existed.
Messak …
There are two areas known as Messak, the northern Messak – which the tuareg call Black Messak (Messak Settafet), and the southern Messak, White Messak (Messak Mellet). These rocky plateaux which continue south and southwest are the continuation of the Murzuk hamada (Dunes). Messak Settafet and Messak Mellet – have a desolate, rough and rocky appearance - scattered with rocks and smaller rock and stone chippings which seem to shine under the sun due to the continuous rubbing of the sand blown over them by the winds. These plateaux reach more than 60km in height near Wadi Makthandush and fall to less than 25km in height near the valley of Anai.
Misurata
An industrial town with its iron and steel works, Misurata is clean and well kept. The Misurata wool carpet is a famous product of this town and the souq is full of these at bargain prices. Found inside a monument - the burj Goozteek - (built to celebrate the Libyan resistance against the Italians), is a small interesting museum; from the tower one has a pleasant view of the town.
Nalut
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Looking at the old town from down below Nalut seems as if it were built on the roof of the world. Its strategic position was chosen by the Turks as a defence against the invasion (1850), of the Arabs. Nalut‘s town centre has moved three times over a period of four centuries higher and higher up the plateau where today the modern town can be found. What seems to be a castle (the Ksar), is in fact a reinforced granary, where the people of Nalut kept all their food stuff in a safe and secure place when they left the town to take their cattle to graze and during their harvest time when they transferred themselves to the caves built in the rock face. |
Ptolemais
The town (as the name indicates) was founded during the Ptolemaic age in the 3rd century B.C where the port of Barce was situated. The findings of 7th and 6th century B.C ceramics show that the town was inhabited during the Arcadian era. Its Hellenistic origins are also clearly visible from its town plan, long narrow streets with right-angled crossroads. The theatre, the school and the magnificent mausoleum all date back to this period. The restoration of the walls which enclose the town was done by the Romans during the 3rd century A.D.
Qaser Libya
Qaser Libya known as the Old Olbia as it was referred to in the Sinesio (Bishop of Cyrene), letters in the 5th century A.D, was also the residence of the Bishop. It has two churches of great religious interest. The western side is known for its extraordinary architecture; the eastern side for its splendid 50 mosaic pieces which originally came from the floor of the western basilica depicting a wide range of subjects including animals and crucifixes made from precious stones. The panels are in a splendid condition and one depicts the only existing representation of the Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Later on during the Turkish period the eastern church was transformed into a fort.
Ras Alhillal
East of the ancient Cyrene port is the most dramatic scenary along the libyan cost. It offers the best approach from the west, with the backdrop of towering mountains and a canyon-like valley runnng into Aljabal Alkhdar.
Sabratha
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Sabratha is the most important archaeological site of western Libya after Leptis Magna. Sabratha was selected as an emporium, or trading post, by Phoenician merchants for its position 43 km west of Zuwara and 66 km east of Oea. Proof of this settlement consists of beaten floors alternating with layers of wind-blown sand under the first permanent houses of Sabratha north of the Forum. The floors indicate makeshift huts,and the depths of the layers of loose sand show the length of periods during which the site was abandoned. Sabratha as we see it nowadays is first and foremost a creation of the Roman genius for building cities. The Romans shaped it after the destruction of Carthage in 146 B.C. and remained so until the Vandals concerned themselves with the fate of Sabratha in 455 B.C. Carthage was retaken by Count Belisarius in 533 B.C for Justinian thus the Vandal empire was short-lived. Held in the basilica is the celebrated Byzantine mosaic, with the Mausoleum Bes (built of sandstone), dating back to the Punic era. Finally in 642-3 A.D Sabratha was taken by the Arabs, the town prospered under them until 748 A.D until trade moved to Tripoli and the town began slowly to lose its importance and was finally left abandoned.
Sebha
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Sebha is the gateway to the great desert plains of the south, to the wadi al-Hayah (valley of life) leading all the way to the great Akakus. The ancient town of Sebha – all but disappeared today – was divided into two districts: one side was lived in by white noble people and the other, by the black descendents of the slaves. To the latter it was illegal to frequent the `white’ side of the town, they were subject to a real “apartheid” until the European colonization. The old Italian fort (Fort Margherita), was taken in 1943 by General Leclerc and his infantry from Chad and was renamed Fort Leclerc, the fort was eventually reclaimed by the Libyans in December 1956. In the south is the camel market which brings in Saharan caravans from many other Saharan states to negotiate for the best bargain camels ! |
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Sirte
Sirte is a custom-built city in recent years and a new metropolis. It is built on the site of the ancient city of Euphranta and was an important land communication point with the south and an embarkation point for many caravans.
Slonta
Slonta is home to the only significant pre-Greek Libyan temple in northern Libya, of more historic then aesthetic appeal. The remains of the stone temple cover 5 sq meters.
Sultan
Sultan was an important Fatimid site. The excavation includes the rubble of the old mosque, the two Philaeni brothers statues: cast in bronze and enviably muscular lying in a walled compound, 5 m tall atop the arch demarcating Tripolitania from Cyrenaica. On an open space you find some scattered stone reliefs, these once adorned the facade of the arch with carved scenes of Italian soldiers.
Tkarkiba
The starting point of the journey to the lakes. As there is no actual road which takes you to the lakes, the small village of Tarkiba has become the starting point of the main route into and the return route out of the lakes.
Tkharkhuri
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The gateway to the Akakus from Ghat. Recognisable from the shape of the rocks and plateaux which appear en masse to resemble rough rounded cones – formations visibly marked by erosion. |
Tobrouk
Tobrouk extends itself along one of the only natural bays on the Libyan coastline. Sadly famous for the military cemeteries found here, Tobrouk is known as the `holocaust’ of thousands and thousands of men who died there fighting either to protect or to conquer the town during the 2nd World War. The town was completely rebuilt after the war. There is no trace of the ancient Greek colony of `Antipyrgos’ that some say Tobrouk dates back to.
Tripoli
Libya’s modern day capital. Originally founded by the Phoenicians five centuries before the birth of Christ they named it Uiat, the landing place between Sabratha and Leptis. It was then known as Oea by the Romans who slowly invaded the region forty years after the destruction of Carthage in 107 B.C. The Marco Aurelius Arch was built in 163 A.D and was made completely from marble in honour of its Emperors Marco Aurelius and Lucio Vero - the arch depicts life as it was then - with engravings of prisoners, women seated with their children and up high the two gods which were the town's protectors, Apollo and Minerva on their carriages. Today its ruin stands as magnificently as it did in the ancient Oea. Then it was known as Tarabulus after the invasion of the Arabs in 643 A.D where its modern day name originates from – Trablus. Until the 18th century Tripoli remained a small town (where the Medina is today), enclosed by its great walls and castle. The castle today is home to the museum, and rightly so having lived through centuries of ups and downs of the town, of the invaders who came and went from the Roman time until today. The museum tells the story and holds the relics of Libya ’s ancient past. Tripoli gradually expanded after the Italian invasion with the construction of its wider avenues, a new cathedral and its typical Italian style buildings. |
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Wadi Tashwinet
This wadi holds the biggest collection of Rupestre paintings in the mass of the Tadrart Akakus. There are many routes which enable you to reach the wadi which covers a perimiter of approximately 10 km.
Zliten
Zliten, one of Libya’s “saints towns“ because it was the home of Sidi Abdusalam al Asmar one of the most known and respected saints of the whole of Libya. Born in 1455, he lived the life of a hermit, living in the desert performing miracles: he was able to feed masses of poor people with a few grains of barley and flour and give them to drink by making water gush from the rocks. He finally became a warrior to defend his town of Zliten. He died at the great age of 120 years and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage, the mosque erected in his remembrance (in Moresque style) is the resting place of his tomb. Next to the mosque is one of the most famous Koranic schools in Libya. A small archeological museum holds various frescoes from the villa of Dar-Buc-Ammera (some of these are also held in the national museum in Tripoli), and Roman ceramics belonging to tombs found on the outskirts of Zliten.
NEW: A group tour is scheduled for Friday, October 31st - Sunday November 9th |
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Grand Tour of Historic Libya - 10 day version, 4* hotels |
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