Lectis Magna

Leptis Magna map

Lepcis Magna is a World Heritage site on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa in the Tripolitania region of Libya 90 kms E of Tripoli. Originally founded by the Phoenicians in the 10th century BC, it became a Punic city and eventually part of the new Roman province of Africa around 23 BC.

As a Roman city it prospered, boasting Emperor Septimius Severus as one of its sons and benefactors. Sacked by a Berber tribe in 523 AD it was abandoned and quickly reclaimed by the desert. Its harbour was covered by a huge sand dune. Although it provided a source of building materials to various pillagers throughout history, it was not excavated until the 1920s. Since then the incredible remains of this city (one of the best preserved Roman cities) have attracted less attention than they deserve - especially since the political situation in Libya has made travel to the site difficult and tourism a virtual impossibility.