Day 116 - Leptis Magna & Tripoli

Point of departure: Zliten

Point of arrival : Tripoli

Accommodation: Funduq al Kabir

Km travelled today: 160kmCum: 20 623km (gravel 0kmcum 4 649)

Countries so far: 10/16

Where to next? Tunisia

No of photos: 120 (cum 5 359)

A more civilised start to the day left the hotel at 08h00 and first stop was the Mosque of Sidi Abdusalam - one of the modern Libyan mosques. The exterior of the mosque is adorned with mosaic tiles. Then onto Leptis Magna - the ruins of the largest and greatest Roman city in Africa (7th century BC) and widely regarded as the best Roman ruins preserved in the world.Constructed of limestone and marble it was more resistant to the earthquakes and ravages of time.

Leptis Magna together with Sabratha and Oea (now Tripoli) formed Tripolitania ("the land of three cities") - the Roman name for this province.

The scale and grandeur of the ruins are quite breathtaking, set as they are on rising ground with a magnificent view of the Mediterranean as a backdrop. From the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Hadrian Baths through to the Temple of Nymphs, Sports Arena, Severan Forum and Basilica and Market and finally the crowning glory, the Theatre, the opulence of this ancient city was easy to imagine.The amount of granite and marble was quite breathtaking. The view from the upper rows of the Theatre looking out to the Mediterranean was really dramatic.

Then Wesam treated us to a typical Libyan meal at the Alnajea restaurant. Quite a spread which included:Shaba soup, to couscous and bordeem (lamb) and ausban with rice and vegetables.All very tasty (the soup was very hot) but just too much food.

We then drove the final 120km to Tripoli (Tarablus in Arabic) which, per the Lonely Planet Guide, once went by the historical sobriquet of the "White Bride of the Mediterranean" and more recently been called "the Havana of North Africa".

After checking into our hotel, overlooking the bay, we went exploring through the Medina (old town) and the souk. Part of it built on the remains of the old Roman city, with some buildings incorporating the ancient columns. The only part still standing is the Arch of Marcus Aurelius completed in AD163-64 which stood at the crossroads of the two great Roman roads of the city. A noisy and busy experience,but a good way to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the old town.One of the old buildings we walked by was the former British Consul building (from 1850's to 1940).It was first constructed in 1744. The last building of note was the Al Saraya al-Hamra (Tripoli Castle) which represented the seat of power in Tripolitania until the 20th century.