Leptis Magna Libya - Africa

Leptis Magna (or Lpqy or Neapolis) - Libya

Visit the Roman Empire in Africa. Leptis Magna is the best well preserved site for Roman ruins in the entire North Africa located 130 km from the Libya's capital Tripoli.

This is a UNESCO world Heritage site on the Mediterranean coast in Tripolotania region. Leptis Magna was originally a Berber settlement, where after the Phoencians made it into a trading point. From the 6th century BC Leptis Magna was probably subdued by Carthage. It became part of the Roman empire in 111 BC. The architecture is totally ancient roman based and was a trading hub. The town had a steady base of income from slave trade, gold, ivory, metals, plus agriculture which was richer in those days. Olive was a very profitable cultivation, its said that in 46 BC Julius Caesar had imposed an annual income tax of staggering 3 million pounds of oil on this city.

Berbers sacked the city in 523 AD and abandoned. In 1920 these magnificent ruins were excavated. There are several impressive structures in this area including a large theater, cemetery, Hadrianic Baths which are still impressive, and one of the pools, measuring 28 times 15 meter, remains intact. This bath house was one of the largest that ever was built outside Rome itself. Wealthy merchants also paid for the temples to Liber Pater on the left and to Rome and Augustus on the right, built in the Old Forum around 10 AD. The small temple in the middle of colonnaded aisles behind the theatre was built by Iddibai Tapapius in 42 AD for the cult to deified emperors such as Caesar and Augustus. There’s an excellent, extensive museum near the entrance. Baths of Hadrian, the Basilica of Septimius Severus, the Forum and the Arch of Triumph are most popular in Leptis Magna.
Leptis Magna enjoyed an unusual degree of autonomy under Roman rule. Unlike other African cities, it lost no land and was not forced to accept Roman settlers. It prospered because Rome stopped bandits from plundering the countryside and curbed unrest among local tribal groups. Even those who have no interest in ruins will be impressed by the Roman remains you can find at Leptis Magna. The setting is impressive as well: overlooking the Mediterranean.

There are no hotels or restaurants near Leptis Magna, and most visitors make the sites as a one day trip, closest hotels are at at Al-Khoms, a 3 kilometers to the west. The best time to visit Leptis Manga (Libya) is in spring or autumn and spring as summers are very hot.