Cyrenaica
Libya – Coastal Area | Anno 2005
Jebel Akhdar, a mountainous plateau in the northeast of the country, is unique in desert-like Libya. It is densely forested and crisscrossed by several rivers and wadis. It receives an average annual rainfall of 600 mm
The plateau is rich in aquifers. This is enough to make this part of Cyrenaica exceptionally fertile. In ancient times, it was the breadbasket of both Athens and Rome |
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In the north, the limestone plateau usually extends into headlands with steep cliff faces |
Berbers – or Imazighen, as they call themselves – are the original inhabitants of Cyrenaica. While Phoenician and Greek colonists settled the coasts of North Africa from 900 BCE onward, they primarily controlled the inland oases
Cyrene
In 631 BCE, a hundred Greek colonists founded the city of Cyrene, from which Cyrenaica takes its name. The city owed its prosperity almost exclusively to silphium, a fennel-like plant used as a medicine, perfume, and aphrodisiac. But its properties as a contraceptive and abortifacient were especially valued
Ultimately, overexploitation led to the plant's extinction and Cyrene's economic decline |
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On the stoa along Battus Street, the city's main street, statues of Heracles and Hermes still recall Cyrene's Greek origins |
One of the most impressive structures in Cyrene is the Greek gymnasium. In the centre of the square (far left in the photo) are the remains of a temple dedicated to Dionysus
In 74 BCE, Cyrene became a Roman colony. They turned the gymnasium into a forum |
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As high priest of the Temple of Apollo, Jason Magnus prospered in his day. His 2nd-century CE house occupied a whopping two city blocks |
The ruins still radiate wealth and luxury, with the marble staircases, the atrium with the circular walkway, the many rooms and… |
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…the mosaics on all floors, even in the wide hallway |
Large mosaics were used solely as floor coverings. The tiles were installed on-site. Small mosaics, on the other hand, served as wall decorations and were made in the workshop with glass paste granules. Customers could then choose their favourite motifs in advance from a catalogue
Nymph with satyr
Head of Medusa |
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One of the temples in the agora is dedicated to the goddess Demeter and her daughter Kore. At that time, this temple was reserved for women |
For a maritime city-state like Cyrene, Poseidon, god of the sea and waters, was an important deity. His trident can be recognised on a monument erected in the agora in the 3rd century BCE to celebrate a naval victory
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The Sacred Way leads to the lower ancient Cyrene as it was founded by Battus in the 7th century BCE |
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By far the most important building in ancient Cyrene was the Temple of Apollo. Its foundations date back to the 6th century BCE, making it one of the oldest temples in Cyrene
A magnificent, larger-than-life statue of the god Apollo was discovered among the ruins. A marble slab inscribed with the text of the Sacred Law was also discovered. It described how to ritually purify one from miasma, a kind of moral and religious taint one could acquire through unethical behaviour
Lions protect the area surrounding the Temple of Apollo
The enormous theatre also dates from the 6th century BCE. Built into a slope, it seats a thousand spectators. However, the Romans preferred gladiator fights and wild animal fights to theatrical performances. Therefore, in the 2nd century CE, they converted the semicircular Greek structure into a full-fledged amphitheatre
The Temple of Zeus dates from the 6th or 5th century BCE and measures 70 by 32 meters, making it larger than the Temple of Zeus at Olympia in Greece. Inside, a gigantic statue of the supreme god resided
Jews formed a significant part of the population of Cyrene. But under the Romans, they were increasingly oppressed. This led to several uprisings, such as in 115 CE, when Jewish rebels brutally murdered large numbers of civilians. The Temple of Zeus was also destroyed
The final blow came with the terrible submarine earthquake of 365 CE, estimated at magnitude 8 or more. Coastal areas were devastated by an unprecedented tsunami, and all the cities on the island of Crete were destroyed. In Cyrene, the Temple of Zeus was severely damaged and then abandoned for good
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Apollonia
At first Apollonia was no more than the seaport of Cyrene, but gradually she came to rival her mother city
In Roman times, Apollonia was even part of the Pentapolis, the five most important cities of Cyrenaica. Under the Byzantines, it became the capital of the Roman province of Libya Superior. This is evidenced by the presence of an impressive two-story palace. Around 640, the city was captured by Muslim conquerors who would later Arabize this part of the continent
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The fact that Christianity still played a role in Byzantine Apollonia is evident from the fact that residents could visit several basilicas |
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These basilicas once dominated the cityscape. Now, their pale columns, mostly in Cipollino marble, dominate the grounds. Remnants of the mosaic floors can still be seen in the western basilica
Even the way the basilicas were built reflected the political evolution. While the apse of the western basilica still faced west, expressing allegiance to Rome, that of the eastern and central basilicas faced east. After all, Byzantium had taken over from Rome
The central basilica was the city's most important basilica. However, the walls appear to be of poor quality, while some mosaics are unfinished and some columns are not made of marble
It is suspected that improvisation was necessary when building the church using inferior materials |
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In the baptistery, baptism was administered by complete immersion in water, as is still the rule in the Eastern Orthodox Church |
Like the theatre of Cyrene, the one at Apollonia is situated in a magnificent setting. But this image is highly misleading. The earthquake of 365 CE lowered Apollonia's coastline by approximately 3.8 meters. Where several rocky islands now lie in the sea, the bustling harbour once stood. There, underwater archaeologists have discovered one of the most intact harbours of ancient Greece, built in the 7th and 6th centuries BCE
Qasr Libya
In 1957, workers near Qasr Libya accidentally discovered about fifty panels of a mosaic floor in a 6th-century Byzantine church. These phenomenal floor mosaics are now considered among the finest examples of this art form
Most of the panels depict animals or mythical creatures, including birds… |
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…lotus flowers, ducks and fish in the area of the Nile … |
…a peacock… |
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…and even a bear in action |
An image of the river god Euphrates suggests that in the 6th century Christian and pagan influences were still closely intertwined |
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The river god Gihon is also present. In the Book of Genesis, he is mentioned as one of the four rivers of paradise in the Garden of Eden |
A woman with a basket overflowing with fruit looks directly at the viewer and makes a reassuring gesture. The wars had ended, and ananeosis, or renewal, had begun |
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Also special is the representation of the Pharos of Alexandria, the famous lighthouse from the 3rd century BCE that is considered one of the seven classical wonders of the world |
Ptolemais
When the Egyptians seized the seaport of Barca in 322 BCE, they named it Ptolemais. The city flourished, but the earthquake of 365 and the invasions of the Vandals and Arabs put an end to it. Today, all that remains is a barren, windswept plain overlooked by the two towers of the Taucheira Gate
Roman engineers built an aqueduct that transported rainwater over a distance of over twenty kilometres from the neighbouring hills. They installed several enormous water reservoirs beneath the forum
In total, the seventeen vaulted compartments can hold six million litres of water. Eight galleries run north-south for a length of 50 meters, and the nine east-west galleries are 20 meters long
This makes these cisterns the largest water tank in North Africa and possibly in the entire Mediterranean region
Another eye-catcher is the Villa of the Pillars. You could actually call it a palace rather than a villa. It stood on a plateau with a panoramic sea view and, at 600 m², covered an entire block of houses. The living quarters were spread over two floors
The atrium was surrounded by a covered colonnade. Two dining rooms adjoined this, both once adorned with impressive mosaic floors and magnificent works of art. According to some, this villa even surpassed its counterparts in Pompeii and Herculaneum in its grandeur
Jaak Palmans
© 2025 | Versie 2025-08-28 14:00