Libya Things to Do

  rock art from the Akakus
by sachara
 
  • rock art from the Akakus
      rock art from the Akakus
    by sachara
  • local ambiance
      local ambiance
    by sachara
  •   Things to Do
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  •   Things to Do
    by sachara
  • Innercourts of the Red Castle
      Innercourts of the Red Castle
    by sachara
 
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Early 20th century Tripoli

by sachara

Just southeast of the Martyrs Square you walk into Tripoli of the 20th century with an strong Italian touch. The white buildings, arcades, huge arches with open air cafés, green parks and squares have a totally other atmosphere than the old madina at the other side of the Green Square.The Grand Mosque at the Maydan al Jaza'ir was once the city's Cathedral built in neo- Romanesque style in 1928 by the Italians. First in 1970 the cathedral was converted into a mosque. At the same square you can find arcaded buildings and the postoffice.Between the Maydan al Jaza'ir and the Martyrs Square along the Shari'a Awwal Sebtambar you can find the ornamented arches of Galleria del Bono. In the shadow under the arch is an open air café on the marble pavement.

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Hidden away

by TheWanderingCamel

50 years ago, workmen digging in a field on the slopes of the Jebel al Akhdar made a discovery which set the archaeological world abuzz. Two Byzantine churches in close proximity was a major discovery in itself, but, even better, further excavation revealed a fabulous mosaic pavement set with 50 panels depicting subjects that ranged from to-be-expected Christian motifs and images of plants, birds and animals drawn from nature to quite extraordinary depictions of pagan gods and mythical beasts - the very last thing you would expect to find on the floor of a church of this period! Most exciting of all was a panel, one of several of architectural images, of the legendary lighthouse of Alexandria - one of only a handful in existance.Grouped into sets and placed around the walls of a museum built especially to house them, they can be seen clearly but, looking at the photos taken when they...

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The Greek Pentapolis

by TheWanderingCamel

The eastern region of Libya, known as Cyrenaica, lies directly south of Greece and it was from north to south that the first colonisers from Europe ventured sometime in the 7th C BC.The evidence of their success as settlers lies in the ruins of the cities they left behind. Barce, Tocra, Ptolemais, Apollonia and, grandest of all, Cyrene, were their cities. Collectively known as the Pentapolis, such was their wealth and importance that the Greeks divided their known world into three parts - Asia, Europe and Libya. These were not the only Greek cities in North Africa, there were several other smaller places but little very remains of them and generally it is the Pentapolis cities that are the main focus of a visit to the region. Barce has totally disappeared, but the remains of the others are certainly splendid enough to hold their own against Roman Leptis Magna and Sabratha on the other...

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Scratching the surface

by TheWanderingCamel

Ptolemais (modern Tolmeita), some 37km east of Tocra is a much bigger site and it's here you begin to get some idea of how rich and important the cities of Libya's Greek colonies were. Founded sometime in the 7th century BC, Ptolemais was the port for Barce, and although all traces of Barce have entirely disappeared, there is enough evidence from the scale of Ptolemais and the many beautiful artifacts housed in its museum to tell us Barce must have been splendid indeed. When Romans repalced Greeks, Ptolemais continued to thrive even surviving a major earthquake in 365AD that saw the other cities of the Pentapolis largely destroyed. Ptolemais survived to become the region's main centre for another hundred years or so only to fall into decline in the 7th century AD with the arrival of the Arab invaders. It's a big site, well over 2 square kilometres, but only about 10% of the site has been...

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Where to go?

by TheWanderingCamel

Planning where you want to go and what you want to see is essential if you are taking any sort of tailor-made tour in Libya. You don't have to concern yourself with this if you're booking a set tour , the itinerary will be laid out clearly and you go where they go. If you want any sort of individual tour however you must make sure everywhere you want to go is included in the itinerary given on your visa application as your visa alows you to visit only the sites specified before arrival. It is really important to understand that you must specify the exact cities and sites you wish to visit before you arrive in the country. Once the itinerary is set you cannot make changes to it.You must do your homework, decide on the places you want to visit and confirm the itinerary before you apply for your visa as it cannot be changed later. Your travel agent will be happy to help you plan your trip...

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Looking east

by TheWanderingCamel

Anyone who thinks of Libya only in terms of endless desert and the smattering of Roman ruins - albeit very important ones - on its north-western shores is in for a huge surprise should they venture into the mountain regions behind the eastern city of Benghazi. This is the Jebel Akhdar, the Green Mountains, a world of lush meadows and thickly forested deep ravines spreading from the heights down to a really beautiful stretch of Mediterranean coastline.Cyrenaicans hold their historic and cultural individuality dear, cherishing their local customs, their dialectic and culinary differences, their role in resisting the forces of Fascism. Tourism is in its infancy - hotel and restaurant facitities are adequate but a certain level of tolerance is required at times , and getting here isn't all that easy. However, the inconveniences pale beside the rewards - not the least of which are the...

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A tale of two cities

by TheWanderingCamel

Smallest and least impressive of the remaing Greek cities of the Pentapolis, Tocra,founded in 510 BC, was established to serve as a port for Cyrene, the great inland city further to the east. Romans and Byzantines continued the expansion of the city into the 5th and 6th centuries AD but the local soft sandstone that was used as a the main building material, whilst easy to work, was unable to withstand erosion from salt winds and the numerous earthquakes that have struck the region through the centuries. Little remains to be seen today - a suggestion of some of the city's major buildings and some extensive lengths of city wall. The most impressive structure is the Turkish fort, built by the Ottomans on the site of a Greek temple, and used by the occupying Italians into the mid-20th century.The pleasure of visiting Tocra lies in the observation of small details - scattered columns, faded...

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Al Bayda

by iwys

Al Bayda is a small, deeply religious town, 180km east of Benghazi. It has possibly the most attractive location of any of Libya's cities, in the foothills of the Jebel Akhdar range, just 32km inland from the Mediterranean. It is also renowned for its pleasant, mild climate, and temperate fruits such as apples and pears are grown in the area.In the early 1950s, King Idris used it as his administrative centre and it was planned to be the new capital of Libya. The small city itself, which has a population of 120,000, has few tourist attractions, other than a couple of big, modern mosques and Omar al-Mukhtar University, which was originally the Islamic university and still looks like a mosque. The main east-west highway passes through the centre of the city and it is flanked by some rather plain-looking blocks of flats.There are several budget hotels in the town and it makes a good base for...

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Heroes

by TheWanderingCamel

The first half of the 20th century saw great deeds of heroism and fortitude played out in the defence of freedom in the deep wadis and desert wastes of eastern Libya, first by local warriors who took on the invading Italians and then the should-have-been-defeated Allies who turned rout into victory as they held out against the numerically far superior German army at Tobruk.You need to be a fairly determined pilgrim to make it to the quiet places where the memorials to these heroes are to be found.Omar al-Mukhtar, the leader of the Sanussi rebels who defied the Italians was finally captured and executed. There's nothing grand or imposing about his memorial - it's just a fading portait on a sign hanging from the rusting iron girders of a Bailey bridge deep in the base of the Wadi al-Kuf. You need to take a detour from the main road to drive through the valley - the majority of those who...

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Cyrene - Temple of Zeus

by iwys

The Temple of Zeus, built in the 5th century BC, is Cyrene's crowning glory. With its massive sandstome columns, it was one of the most impressive temples in the Ancient Greek world, even bigger than the Parthenon in Athens. On the main altar, where animal sacrifices were offered, there was a seated statue of Zeus. The temple was rebuilt by the Romans between 27 BC and 14 AD and again in 120 AD during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. It was reconstructed by Italian archaeologists in the 20th century.The temple is hidden in dense woodland on a hilltop on the other side of the gorge from the Forum and Agora. A winding road leads up to it from the northern exit of the Sanctuary of Apollo.

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Fun things to do in Libya

Top 3 Hotels in Libya

Attawfeek Hotel  Tripoli

 24 Opinions

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Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel  Tripoli

 6 Reviews and 40 Opinions  When our KLM flight was cancelled on 21 Feb 2011 we were put in the Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel, and... 

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Radisson Blu Hotel, Tripoli  Tripoli

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18 Hotels in Libya
 
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Reviews and photos of Libya attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Libya sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Libya
  1. Tripoli Things to Do
  2. Benghazi Things to Do
  3. Leptis Magna Things to Do
  4. Shahhat Things to Do
  5. Al Jabal al Akhdar Things to Do
  6. Jibal Akakus Things to Do
  7. Gharyan Things to Do
  8. Susah Things to Do
  9. Qasr al Hajj Things to Do
  10. Ghadamis Things to Do
  11. Athar Tulmaythah Things to Do
  12. Qasr Libiya Things to Do
  13. Al Khums Things to Do

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  I have plan to tour on next year in Libya ! Could you any one tell me Is the Libya safe for tourist? thanks waiting for your... 

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A: Bookmark 

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