Albyda
Nicknamed as its name indicates ‘The White’, Albyda is one of the most important centres in the Jebel Akhdar region: a modern town, it is the departure point of all the excursions to Cyrene and Apollonia. If one arrives from the wadi Kuf road you enter the town by the main road and immediately on the right you will get to a beautiful building which houses the university: at a first look it could be an Ottaman Mosque but in fact it is one of the most frequented schools in the country. As well as the university Albyda is famous for the Zawai ( religious and theology school ), the most ancient of the Cyrenaica, founded in 1843 which was the cradle of Senussia dynasty until 1855.

Apollonia
Apollonia ( the Cyrene port active from 7th century BC ), takes it’s name from it’s protector the God Apollo. At that time a port of great importance because of its position on the sea it was less exposed than the inland towns( like Cyrene ), to the attacks of the indigenous population, the Libi. It’s name was changed to Sozousa ( The Saviour ), probably deriving from the worship of a so called God there which is where it’s modern day name Susa comes from. Most of the monuments today visible date to the Roman Imperial and Byzantine time, there is still little of the Greek town uncovered ( The most part being immersed under the sea). When the town was hit by violent earthquakes in 365 and 400 AD many of the Roman buildings were destroyed giving the architects of the 5th century AD the materials( columns, pillars and blocks of stone etc ), to reuse for the new constructions ( in particular to build places of worship, basilicas ).

Benghazi
The oldest settlement in the Benghazi region that we can date back to is from the 6th century BC, known as `Euesperides’. During the Ptolemaic period Benghazi’s people were moved to an area closer to the sea ( where later on the actual Benghazi grew into the town it is today ), and was known as Berenice. Modern day Benghazi is one of the most important comercial towns in Libya ( thanks to the port ), with one of the highest population rates along the Cyrenaica. Skyscrapers and hotels mirror themselves in the artificial sea water lake ( named Buzeena Al Magreen ), which occupies one side of the town whose water arrives directly from the port.

Cyrene
History informs us that the town of Cyrene was founded in 631 BC by emigrants from the crowded island of Thera when they were commanded by the oracle at Delphi to seek a new home in North Africa. Cyrene became one of the greatest intellectual and artistic centers of the Greek world, famous for its medical school, learned academics, and architecture, which included some of the finest examples of the Hellenistic style.

Ghadames
Situated at the beginning of the Sahara, Ghadames is an ancient Caravanning centre, The city is still a ‘living bridge between traditional and contemporary architecture’ in the whole country. The Ghadames oasis forms a part of the sub region of Gharyan, one of the five sub regions of the Tripoli region. Moreover, it is one of the most important trade routes, connecting central Africa with the Mediterranean sea coast. One story records that a party of travelers from Yemen passed through the valley where Ghadames is located. They stayed overnight and when they moved on in the morning, they forgot their food container, later they remembered the container and they recalled that they had left it behind where they had eaten their lunch the previous day. A horseman of the party came back to the place to find the container, the horse dug with his leg in the earth and water poured out. For this reason, ‘the source of the existing spring is called “horse spring” ( Eyn El-Faras ). This story explains the origin of the name Ghadames which means ‘lunch of yesterday. The Arabic name contains two words Ghada which means lunch or food and Ames which means yesterday.
It has been inscribed on the world Heritage list of historic monuments by UNESCO since 1987.

Leptis Magna
Leptis Magna is one of the best preserved cities of antiquity, it is one of three famous cities in the Tripoli region ( Greek “Tripolis” means “three cities” ). The other two cities are Oea ( now known as Tripoli ), and Sabratha. Known as such ( Magna meaning The Great ), to distinguish it from another city of the same name near Carthage known as Leptis Minor. Leptis Magna was founded by the Phoenician merchants around 1st millennium BC, using it as a trading station and occasional habour. Leptis rose to its peak of prosperity under the rule of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus( 193-211 AD Libyan born ). This prosperity continued during the rule of the Severan Dynasty until 235 AD. The assassination of Alexander Severus ( 222-235 AD ), left the Roman Empire in a state of confusion for some fifty years until the accession of the Emperor Diocletian ( 284-305 AD ). He and his successor Constantine (307-337 AD) both worked hard to prevent the collapse of the empire. In 469 AD the Byzantine Emperor Leo succeeded in crushing the Vandal King Genseric and the great commander Belisarius reclaimed North Africa in 534 AD for the Byzantine Empire and remained under their rule until 643-644 AD when it was ended by the Islamic Arabic conquest.

Nalut
Looking at the old town from down below Nalut seems as if it was built on the roof of the world. Its stratigec position was chosen by the Turks as a defence against the invasion ( at that time, 1850 ), of the arabs. Nalut‘s town center has moved three times over a period of four centuries higher and higher up the plateau where today the modern town can be found. What seems to be a castle ( the Ksar ), is infact a reinforced granary, where the people of Nalut kept all their food stuff in a safe and secure place when they left the town to take their cattle to graze and during their harvest time when they transferred themselves to the caves built in the rock face.

Ptolemais
The town ( as the name indicates ), was founded during the Ptolemaic age in the 3rd century BC where the port of Barce was situated. The findings of 7th and 6th century BC ceramics shows that the town was inhabited during the Arcadian era. Its Hellenistic origins are also clearly visible from its town – plan, long narrow streets with right-angled crossroads. The theatre, the school and the magnificent mausoleum all date back to this period. The restauration of the walls which enclose the town was done by the Romans during the 3rd century AD.

Qaser Libya
Qaser Libya known as the Old Olbia as it was referred to in the Sinesio ( Bishop of Cyrene ), letters in the 5th century AD, was also the residence of the Bishop. It has two churches of great religious interest. The western side known for its extraordinary architecture and the eastern side for its splendid 50 mosaic pieces which originally came from the floor of the western basilica and depict a wide range of subjects including animals and crucifixes made from precious stones. The panels are in a splendid condition and one depicts the only existing representation of the Pharos-Lighthouse of Alexandria- one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Later on during the Turkish period the eastern church was transformed into a fort.

Sabratha
Sabratha, the most important archaeological site of western Libya after Leptis. Sabratha was selected as an emporium, or trading post, by Phoenician merchants for its position 43 km west of Zuwara and 66 km east of Oea. Proof of this settlement consists of beaten floors alternating with layers of wind-blown sand under the first permanent houses of Sabratha north of the Forum. The floors indicate makeshift huts,and the depths of the layers of loose sand show the length of periods during which the site was abandoned. Sabratha as we see it nowadays is first and foremost a creation of the Roman genius for building cities. The Romans shaped it after the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC. and remained so until the Vandals concerned themselves with the fate of Sabratha in 455 BC. Carthage was retaken by Count Belisarius in 533 BC for Justinian thus the Vandal empire was short-lived. Held in the basilica is the celebrated Byzantine mosaic, with the Mausoleum Bes ( built of sandstone ), dating back to the Punic era. Finally in 642-3 AD Sabratha was taken by the Arabs, the town prospered under them until 748 AD until trade moved to Tripoli and the town bagan slowly to loose its importance and finally was left abandoned.

Sebha
Sebha, gateway to the great desert plains of the south, to the wadi al-Hayah ( valley of life) leading all the way to the great Akakus. The ancient town of Sebha – all but disappeared today – was divided into two districts: one side was lived in by white noble people and the other, by the black descendents of the slaves. To the latter it was illegal to frequent the `white’ side of the town, they were subject to a real “apartheid” until the european colonization. The old Italian fort ( Fort Margherita ), was taken in 1943 by General Leclerc and his infantry from Chad and was renamed Fort Leclerc, the fort was eventually reclaimed by the Libyans in December 1956. In the south is the camel market which brings in Saharan caravans from many other Saharan states to barter for the best bargain camels !

Sirthe
Sirte is a custum built city in recent years and a new metropolis. It is built on the site of the ancient city of Euphranta and was an important land communication point with the south and an imbarkation point for many caravans.

Tripoli
Libya’s modern day capital!
Originally founded by the Phoenicians five centuries before the birth of Christ they named it Uiat, the landing place between Sabratha and Leptis. Then known as Oea by the Romans who slowly invaded the region forty years after the destruction of Carthage in 107 BC, The Marco Aurelius Arch was built in 163 AD made completely from marble in honour of its Emperors Marco Aurelius and Lucio Vero, the arch depicts life as it was then, ( with engravings of prisoners under arms, women seated with their children and up high the two Gods which were the towns protectors, Apollo and Minerva on their carriages ), Today its ruin stands as magnificently as it did in the ancient Oea. Then it was known as Tarabulus after the invasion of the Arabs in 643 AD where its modern day name originates from –Trablus--.Until the 18th century Tripoli remained a small town ( where the Medina- old town-- is today ), enclosed by its great walls and castle. The castle today is home to the museum, and rightly so having lived through centuries of ups and downs of the town, of the invaders who came and went from the Roman time until today! The museum tells the story and holds the relicts of Libya’s ancient past. Tripoli gradually expanded after the Italian invasion with the construction of its wider avenues, a new cathedral and its typical Italian style buildings.

Zliten
Zliten, one of Libya’s “ saints towns “ because it was the home of Sidi Abdusalam al Asmar one of the most known and respected saints of the whole of Libya. Born in 1455, he lived the life of a hermit, living in the desert performing miracles: he was able to feed masses of poor people with a few grains of barley and flour and give them to drink by making water gush from the rocks. He finally became a warrior with arms to defend his town Zliten. He died at the great age of 120 years and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage, the mosque erected in his remberence ( in Moresque style ) is the resting place of his tomb. Next to the mosque is one of the most famous Koranic schools in Libya. A small archeological museum holds various frescos from the villa of Dar - Buc -Ammera ( some of these are also held in the national museum in Tripoli ), and Roman ceramics belonging to tombs found on the outskirts of Zliten.