LIBYA

Location - North Africa; Capital - Tripoli; Population - 6.5 million; Currency - Libya Dinar MORE LIBYA

After a day's drive from Tripoli via the mountainous Jebel Nafusa, we arrived in the Saharan city of Ghadames, in November 2007.

The one Libyan Dinar note features Colonel Ghaddafi, but not for much longer I'm sure..

The beautiful ancient trading city of Ghadames lies close to the Tunisia/Algeria border

The mosque near the main entrance to Ghadames old city

Ghadames old city

Irrigating water channels, Ghadames old town

There's a myriad covered pathways in the Old City, and it's pretty easy to get lost - Ghadames

Whitewashed buildings in Ghadames old city

Palm trees tower over whitewashed walls in Ghadames old city

A mosque in the central area of Ghadames old town

A mosque's minaret, Ghadames

Brightly coloured door in a Ghadames courtyard

Date palms are grown in the gardens of the old city - Ghadames

There's lots of dates on offer in Ghadames

A covered walkway in Ghadames old city

Ghadames was at the centre of several caravan routes, leading north to the Mediterranean and south further into the Sahara

The atmospheric walkways of Ghadames old town

A Ghadames courtyard

The steps of a Ghadames cafe

Enjoying mint tea and karkady (hibiscus tea) with the tour group in Ghadames old city

The inside of a traditional house in Ghadames old town

A colourful window decoration in Ghadames

Ghadames Museum is in the new town

The ruins of a Roman fort sit atop Ras al-Ghoul, a short drive from Ghadames

Tour groups then head for sunset at the Grand Erg Oriental sand dunes, from where Tunisia and Algeria can be seen

Sunset over the sand dunes - Grand Erg Oriental, just a few kms from Ghadames

Grand Erg Oriental sand dunes (if you were wondering, reducing the memory of the photo makes the sky look blotched - the originals are fine)

Grand Erg Oriental sunset - the tourist traffic can get silly in this area, but it's still worth going

Camels get the right of way - driving to Kabaw

Another fortified Berber granary is at Kabaw, which like Qasr a-Haj and Nalut, is situated in the Jebel Nafusa area, south of Tripoli

Storerooms in Kabaw's granary

These granaries can also be found in Tunisia - Kabaw

The abandoned clifftop village of Tormeisa

Salim gets a little too close to the edge at a foggy and rainswept Tormeisa

Clouds are blown away to reveal the Jefara Plain at Tormeisa

An underground troglodyte home in Gharyan, still occupied by a Berber family

The Triumphal Arch of Septimus Severus welcomes you to the Roman city of Leptis Magna, 125kms from Tripoli.
Originally a Phoenician city in the 6th century BC, Rome took control following the 3rd Punic War in 146BC

The Hadrianic Baths consisted of hot and cold chambers and pools - Leptis Magna

More about Leptis Magna here

The Severan Forum, Leptis Magna. The city was home to about 80,000 people

A column in the Severan Basilica depicting the Labours of Hercules - Leptis Magna

The 8,000 seat Theatre was built in the 1st century AD - Leptis Magna

Like Sabratha, Leptis Magna was built on the Mediterranean coast

Leptis Magna's Theatre

The Amphitheatre at Leptis Magna could hold around 16,000 spectators for the gladiator events

The Amphitheatre was built in the 1st century AD - Leptis Magna

Looking seawards from the Amphitheatre are the remains of the Circus, a racetrack which hosted up to 25,000 people - Leptis Magna

Entering the Amphitheatre - Leptis Magna

Gladiators and wild animals would walk through these tunnels to the Amphitheatre 'stage' - Leptis Magna

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LINKS

www.libyaonline.com/tourism

www.libyan-tourism.org - Libya tourist board

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