Cyrene - Libya
The beautiful
Cyrene is an endangered UNESCO World Heritage site in Eastern Libya. Cyrene is
considered one of, if not the most, important classic Greek sites outside of
Greece, second only to Leptis Magna. Its temples, tombs, agora, gymnasium and
theatre were originally modeled on those at Delphi. Cyrene was founded as a
colony for the Greeks of Thera (modern Santorini), traditionally led by Battus I
from Thera, in 630 BC ten miles from its port, Apollonia (Marsa Sousa).
There are more than 76 Roman statues dating back to 2nd century AD and other ruins in this place. This place was always a fertile area and specially famous for abundance of precious metals and a medical herb called silphium. An important trading route Apollonia is just 16 Km from Cyrene. There was an earthquake in 365 and the temple wall burried some of these statues and they were buried until recently rediscovered. Another important features of this Cyrene is Temple of Apollo which was destroyed in 7th century and then rebuilt 3 centuries later, it also has a nearby Fountain of Apollo which was believed to have healing powers. Other monuments include Roman Theater, Temple of Demeter and Zeus.
Cyrene Libya, a colony of the Greeks of Thera founded in 632 BC, was among the principal cities in the Hellenic world. Romanized in 74 BC, Cyrene remained a great city, with over one thousand years of rich history until the earthquake of 365. Cyrene, which was described by geographers from Herodotus to Synesius, its praises sung Pindar and Callimachus, is not only one of the cities of the Mediterranean around which myths, legends and stories have been woven over more than a thousand years, but it is also one of the most impressive ruin complexes in the entire world. Cyrene Libys is a good place to travel for tourists interested in ancient artifacts and Roman architecture.
