Photos : Libya Photos
The following is a diary of sorts about our tour. Ghad’s Country as it was dubbed by me due to the fact that he has his picture plastered everywhere from the airport to the toilets to the Sahara, is a country of contrast and not yet too spoiled by tourism.
Day 2 – Leptis Magna : Largest Ruins In Libya
“World famous as the best-preserved and most extensive Roman city in the Mediterranean . It became important when established as a city by the Canaanites and reached its climax under the rule of Septimus Severus, the first African Roman Emperor. Stunning Roman city, walking the ancient chariot-scarred streets of thevast site that lead to the Triumphal Arch, huge Basilica, Forum, Public Baths, Hippodrome and the Amphitheatre. ”
You could do a tour without a guide here but the best idea is to have one. The idea of having the toilets out of stone and side by side give a whole new meaning to ‘love thy neighbor’.
Day 3 – Sabratha : Most intact ruins in Libya
“Amongst all of Libya ‘s many archaeological sites, Sabratha stands out as the most majestic. A World Heritage Site, Sabratha was founded by the Canaanites in the 6th Century B.C., ruled by Carthage , Phoenicia , Numedia and then Rome in 46 B.C. Sabratha was valued not only for its agricultural wealth, but also for the gold, ivory and slaves that reached the city by the great caravan route from Lake Chad . The city seen today was built under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. This grand and ancient site offers a wonderful collection of public buildings, arenas, the impressively restored Roman Theatre , the temples of Liber Pater, Serapis, Isis and Hercules, all magnificently set against the blue of the Mediterranean Sea.”
This site is better preserved than Leptis Magna however is smaller. Sabratha gives you a different appreciation or aspect of the city structure as it is more in tact.
Day 4 – South to Nalut and qasr el haj
Headed south to the Saharan oasis of Ghadames. En route stop at the “ghost town” of Nalut, located high in the Nafusa Mountains . Nalut offers insights into the traditional lifestyles of the l
ocals used until the Libyans found the rich oil, enabling them to move from caves to concrete structures. After a tour of Nalut, headed further south towards the immense Sahara Desert to reach Ghadames for dinner.
Nalut was amazing and picturesque with mud construction of its chambers, grinding wheels, mosque, school and houses overlooking an imposing valley. The camera doesn’t do it justice.
Day 5 – Ghadames : walled ‘Oasis’ city
“Ghadames, the fabled “Pearl of the Sahara ”. This oasis was settled from prehistoric times and was a major port of call for the traders and pilgrims en route to Mecca . Ghadames is a beautiful desert town that has retained its original culture, visible in the narrow streets lined with its uniquely adapted mud brick architecture. Your tour will cover both the intoxicating old ghost town and the desert sand dunes.”
The architecture of Ghadames is well adapted to desert life, as the old city remains comfortable even in the heat of the summer. Although many families have moved out of the traditional houses into newer housing with modern amenities, many people return to the old city during the summer when air conditioning cannot keep the new buildings cool.
The city was inhabited until recently, roughly 10 years I think. In the old city there was a mail delivery system an because it is relatively small, the mail would be addressed by the street name then all the people would turn up and collect it. The new city is constantly sprawling and has a similar layout however no street names or numbers. Strange for a city today but maybe that’s just me.
The city’s streets are not quite what you would expect as the ‘street’ is not one path/road but rather a collection of pathways and alleys. Each street was its own entity regarding ruling, marriage, structure however there were, from memory, 7 streets connected at various points within the walled city. As protection against attackers, there were a few things that were designed for the city.
- Gates to block off the alley/street from the outside and/or the other streets
- Raised sections of ground at various points to trip would be intruders
- The ‘skylights’ would be covered thereby making the walkways/alleyways difficult to navigate hence point 2 i.e. the street would be a complete blackout. 🙂
The city was built with with the gardens on the outside that could be accessed by 1 of 4 gates, or if you really wanted, by jumping from the roof, but I’ll get that later. if they city was attacked then all the streets would act as one to defeat the attackers.
Marriage was encouraged however you were only supposed to marry someone else in your street. Sort of narrows your options and you would really be hoping you didn’t get the ugly street!
Traditional houses are centered around a two-story main room whose only light comes from a grate in the ceiling. Interior whitewashed walls are decorated by the women of the household in bold red paint, textiles, and copper. This is the center of family life, as well as the room into which guests are received.
Adjacent to the living room is the “kubba”, a ceremonial room used only on the first night of marriage and by a woman following the death of her husband. It was/is expected that the woman is a virgin on the wedding night, similar to the tradition in Jewish Land. The house has a room right next to the dining area where the couple consummate on their wedding night and had to ‘prove’ the bride was a virgin.
Women were not supposed to be seen in ‘uncovered’ in public or maybe not seen at all (I can’t remember which). This lead to 2 interesting things. First, the houses do not have showers however there were public male and female showers. The women would shower when the rest of the town was called to prayer. This meant they could bathe plus gossip and no-one but other women would see them. This was not the only time they could catch up however as they had another way to see each other. In the houses the kitchen was upstairs near the roof. From the kitchen they could get onto the roof and as each house was joined to the next, there were steps along the adjoining walls the enabled to walk around without being seen.
The exterior walls are generally made of mud brick with no decoration or whitewash except at the top where corners have whitewashed finials. House doors are palm boards sometimes painted in green or grey.A stairway leads up the wall of the main room to bedrooms and storerooms on the second floor. The roof of the main room serves as an open-air family terrace. The kitchen is also on the roof, as is a sleeping area for summertime.
The builders of Ghadames traditionally used only locally available materials for their architecture. These materials include mud, stone, lime, palm trees and straw. The mud brick walls typically sit on stone foundations, and structural support and bracing is accomplished with palm trunks. Floors were built of palm fibers and fronds. The lime formed whitewash used on the inside and outside of walls.
Day 7 to 10 – The Sahara : Amazing and diverse Landscape
“Early departure by landcruiser to the Fezzan region and the Ubari Lakes . This area has some of the most spectacular and diverse desert scenery to be found anywhere in the world. Splashes of fertile wadis dot the landscape set amongst the vast desert and towering sand dunes. The desert contains many lakes surrounded by lush palm trees, and is home to various nomadic groups.”
I could rave on for hours about the Sahara. If you have the notion that going to the Sahara was just about driving over sand dunes then you will be pleasantly surprised to find it is a world unlike any other. It is a varying landscape made up of basalt rock formations, sand, rock paintings, Toureg nomads, herders and those pesky tourists. The rock formations are amazing. They range from jagged mountain ranges to table top mountains to arches to stand alone shapes.
In the Acacus we had a fantastic time camping for 4 nights, only 1 of which we endured a bad campsite and extremely windy night. The views from camp in the mornings were awesome and serene. I enjoyed getting up and climbing the nearby dunes or mountains to take some pics and get some exercise before sunrise. During our stay we not only got to see the brilliant land formations but also nomads and their camels, pre-historic rock paintings and even a petrified forest.
Day 12 – Cyrene : walled ‘Oasis’ city
“Drive north-east to Al Bayda along the stunning Mediterranean coastline visiting the ancient Greek cities of Tocra and Tolmeita en route. The day’s excursion will culminate in a visit to Qasr Libya where you can see the outstanding 50 panel mosaic laid during the reign of Justinian I (527 – 65 BC), and now displayed in the Turkish fort. The beaches in this area are just lovely and you may have time for a swim, so don’t forget to pack your bathers! Continue on to Al Bayda for dinner and overnight. ”
Today you have an in-depth visit to the World Heritage Site of Cyrene. The city was part of the 1st century Pentapolis, a “Five-city state” that was second in size only to Athens. It was founded by the Greeks in 630 B.C., was once under the rule of Alexander the Great (331 BC), and later occupied by the Romans followed by the Arabs. Worth visiting alone for its spectacular location high on a bluff overlooking a plateau and the Mediterranean Sea! You can spend the morning at the site exploring the vast ruins that include the Great Baths, Grand Hall and the famous temples of Zeus and Apollo. After lunch there will be a scenic drive winding down an escarpment past splendid rock-cut Greek and Roman tombs for a spectacular descent to Apollonia, the ancient seaport of Cyrene. Your sightseeing here includes the majestic Theatre, Roman baths, Byzantine Duke’s Palace and the Museum.”
Ok so I cheated and just copied the blurb from our itinerary….it was interesting and different to Leptis Magna and Sabratha due to the hillside location and the archtiecture and ‘advanced’ city infrastructure they used.