| |
|
| |
|
|
|
Libyan has a great
variety of the tourist resources prevalent in
the country. They include the natural charming
scenes such as beaches and the rocky shores, the
lakes the Mediterranean costs, the green
mountain, the western mountain, the deserts.
Libya has a great variety of the tourist
resources prevalent in country. It's include : |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
religion plays an important role in every day
life in Libya, thus the monuments
left by the three religions (Jewish,
Christianity, and Islam) which prevailed on
different eras, these monuments such as
constructions, religious and historical
architecture about the country. Islamic sights
in Libya are privileged by their deep rooted
history, as they age back to the very early
Islam arrival to North Africa, these sights are
of architecture importance, and they are mainly
the old mosques at old Tripoli, and those built
by stone at Nafusa-Mountain, besides the old
mosques at the desert oases. These monuments do
attract tourists from all around the world.
On the other hand the mausoleums and the of
tombs of the prophet Mohamed’s friends are
regularly visited at Derna,
Zwila, and Ojala, and also the tombs
of the famous religious personalities
and saints at the cities Zliten,
Misurata, Al-ijailat, and Al-bayda, but
these visits are still local.
Christianity in Libya had prevailed during the Pizantine
time by Saint Marcus, and the first church he
raised in the country still stands on the green
mountain near Derna, and expected to be one of
the main tourist sights in the country,
especially after concluding the excavations
which are going on in that area.
The
Christianity era in Libya had left a
considerable number of churches of
different size, the lofty ones are at Appolonia, Cyrene, and Leptis Magna, and
the small ones built under the ground or
at low levels such as the ones at Jabal-Nafusa.
While Jewish monuments are limited, such as the
Jewish temple at the old city of Tripoli, and
other small ones at Jabal-Nafusa, which are built in a
local style gaining an architecture
importance.
The most
important Islamic and Christian sights in Libya
are: |
|
|
|
-
Derna:
Which is located at the eastern part
of the green mountain, at the middle
of a narrow plain, between the coast
and the foot of the green mountain,
and the main signpost of it’s is the
old mosque (Al-ateeq) which was built at the
Ottomans time, and the mausoleums of
the prophet Mohammed’s friends, which
stand as the centre of the religious
visits, besides saint Marcus’s church
on the mountain side of the city.
On the other hand there are the old
mosques at the caves.
-
Al-baydha:
One of the
famous cities of the green mountain,
with its fine climate at all
seasons; its main signpost is the
mausoleum of Rweifa Alansari.
-
Ajdabya:
Which is located to the
south of Benghazi, and was one of
the important army centres
during the Romans time, then its
importance increased after Islam entered
it, as it became one of the important
stations of the caravans between Egypt
and Morocco, its main Islamic signposts
are a mosque built by the Khalifa Abul
Qasem Ben Abdullah, and the remains of
another mosque.
-
Sultan:
This Islamic sight is
located not far from Ajdabya,
and it’s an Islamic monumental region of
a special historical importance, it was
mentioned by many Arab geographers, and
migratories, it’s main signpost are the
remains of an old mosque.
-
Zliten:
Located about 140 Kilometres to the east of Tripoli,
it’s famous locally as a religious
centre embracing a number of Mausoleums
of Walees (Islamic saints), and a
modern mosque.
Other
than these the Libyan coasts do embrace a
considerable number of cities and towns of
historical and monumental importance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Libyan
coasts do embrace some of the most
important archaeological sights in the
world, on both the eastern and the
western wings of the coast.
The
western side sights goes back to the
time of Phoenicians, when Sebratha, Oea,
and Leptis-Magna where established, then
at the Romans time they became among the most
flourished and beautiful cities of the era, thus
they left this valuable inheritance for the
country.
While on
the eastern coast the archaeological
remains include the famous five Greek
cities Cyrene, Appolonia, Ptolemais,
Tuchira, and Barca.
The
beauty of these cities is enhanced by their
location at the green-Mountain with its
marvelous beautiful nature.
The region also embraces a number of
archaeological sights, such as the fantastic
Byzantine mosaics at Qasr-Libya, which do stand as one of the
sights of an international importance,
and the Libyan temple at Slanta which
aged back before Islam.
There also some isolated Roman sights to the
south from Tripoli at Jabal-Nafusa,
such as the ones near Yefren. All other
than the sights of Ghadames and the
depths of the desert at Germa. But the
most important archaeological sights at
the desert are at Ghirza about 200
Kilometers to the south west of Tripoli,
including the Roman farms, fortified tombs, and
lofty mausoleums. And due to the national sort
of the archaeological cities at the Libyan
coast, many of them were declared as
humanitarian heritage regions, such as Cyrene, Leptis-Magna, and Sebratha. |
|
|
|
-
Sebratha:
Located on
the coast line about an hour from Tripoli,
founded by the Phoenicians at the beginning
of the first millennium B.C, as one of the three cities of
Tripolitania: Sebratha, Oea, and Leptis-
Magna. Its remains age back to the first and
second centuries of the Roman Empire
establishment, which dominated Sebratha
after a fierce Libyan resistance, as
later on the Punic temple, the Basilica,
and the Curia had been rehabilitated.
-
Leptis-Magna:
Located to the east from Tripoli at
about 123 Kilometers, and 3
Kilometers away from Al-khums.
-
Cyrene:
One of the
most beautiful Greek remains all over the
world, thus it had been decided as a
humanitarian heritage region, known today as Shahat, it
stands as the most famous and important
among the Pentabolis ( the union of the
five cities ).
-
Ptolemais:
One of the important archaeological
cities, founded at the third century B.C,
during the time of Ptolemaists as a port
having a powerful fleet competing the
Carthaginian one at the Mediterranean.
-
Appolonia:
Named by the Greeks, as the name of
their great God.
Appolonia
had a strong commercial relation with
Cyrene, as Appolonia was the main port
of Cyrene to export the Silvium plant,
which was of extreme importance at that at
that time.
-
Tuchira:
One
of the construction centres founded
by the Greeks at the green-Mountain at
about 620 B.C, then after it flourished
as an important port to export the intensive
agricultural productions of the Hellenic
era.
-
Bernice:
Known today as Benghazi among many names
it had been known by among its history, it
was founded by the Greeks at 446 B.C, known then as( Uhesbrides ), then Ptolemus
II named it Bernice.
-
Germa:
Germa stands as one of the witnesses of
the old Libyan history, its name rises
from the Garamants who inhabited the
region once, and were able to cross the
desert due to their braveness, dare, and
that they owned of carts and armament,
as they faced the raids of of the
Romans.
The
first historical indication to the
Garamants was by Herodotus at the 5th
century B.C, but the first signs of
inhabitants in the region appeared at
Zenkekra Mountain the northern edge of
which bends downwards to allow the
Garamants to carve the different details
of their life.
Besides the mausoleum which stands at the
middle of a large cemetery with many
circular tombs, with Oblation tables, Palm
and horn shaped marks.
The oval fenced old city of Germa and the
royal cemetery to the south are considered
as the most important archaeological sights. Germa the ancient capital of the
Garamants had been excavated beneath the
Islamic city which had the same name.
Not far from the old
city, and among the modern side of it
stands the museum of Germa, which
embracing many sections, such as the
pre-historic, the Germanian, the
Islamic, and the traditional sections.
Germa
besides its archaeological treasure is
located at one of the most beautiful
natural sights in the country as it’s
surrounded by the sand-sea to the north,
the oases to the west, and the hilly
sides of the Hamada at the south.
-
Ghirza:
One of the
most important archaeological sights at the
Libyan desert 200 Kilometers away from Tripoli, flourished
at the time of the Libyan Emperor
Septimus-Severus at the 2nd century A.C,
the remains of the settlements and the
temple, besides the water obstructions
do age back to that time when Girza was
flourished commercially and
agriculturally, and well known as a
trade station between the south and the
north of the country. During the 4th and
the 5th centuries A.D.
Hellenic
era, and the remains of the mausoleums
and tombs are of Libyan personalities as
the names Fedhil and Nasif are read
among the carvings.
Other than Germa and Ghirza many castles,
and fortresses of different eras: Roman,
Ottomans, and Italians are scattered at the
oases all about the country.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Libyans are very
proud of their culture, which is one of the
richest and various cultures not only
historically, but also at the field of
architecture, besides the museums which do
embrace a wide variety of their cultural
treasure, among many other aspects of tourist
importance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Historically Libya has been always a
resource of traditional jewellery and handicraft
souvenirs, and famous Ghadames traditional
shoes, other than the pottery at Gharyan,
the local industries based on palm trees
production at the south oases, leather
productions such as |
|
bags, saddles and
shoes, and other metallic handicraft of
knives, swords, and silver souvenirs
at Ghat, all as important factors of
handicrafts.
The Libyan kitchen is rich and several of local
and oriental food and an excellent variety of
bread, besides a set of the basin of the
Mediterranean plates; in addition the meat and
the fruits available in the country are of fine
qualities. On the other hand there the modern
arts, which are exhibited today at a number of
special halls at the main cities. Festivals and
local ceremonies are regularly taking place, and
do attract a considerable number of tourists
every year, especially the desert festivals at Ghadames and Ghat, and at the oasis
of Hun, besides the coast cities
festivals at the Green mountain, the Nafusa mountain, and at the city of
Tripoli.
All
these festivals do offer samples of the
folklore and the cultural characteristics of the country, while
the ones at the inner oases have a
special importance as they are offering
a matchless show of desert folklore,
songs, dances, and traditional and
heritage exhibitions in an original
historical regions. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Green
mountain and the western one (Nafusa) are
considered as the main mountain chains on the
east and the west of the country. As they are at
the coast, both chains are rather high, as their
highest summits are about 100 meters high.
Thus they are higher than the near by coastal
plains, embracing a set of sloping valleys.
The ratio of the rain falls is rather high on
these regions that made them rich with
vegetation, and include more planted areas than
other regions of the coast.
The foots
of these mountains are of an astonishing beauty
especially in spring, and the temperature here
is less fresh than the plains in summer,
although they are colder in winter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
Green-Mountain is privileged by a unique
nature rich of various vegetation,
besides the Geophormologic factors of
the caves and the natural canyons of the
mountain such as Hawafteih cave, in
which where discovered some remains of a
pre-historic human life. All among the
fantastic nature of the Green-Mountain, and
its archaeological cities of a special
importance.
|
|
|
|
-
The Nafusa-Mountain tourist properties
do embrace a distinguished culture, and
unique architecture developed at the far
mountains, among the cities and the
beautiful villages of, some of which do
have include famous granaries, such as Nalut, Kabaw, and Qasr-el-haj, and the
old villages of Tmujit, Jado, Fursata, Yefren, and Algalaa, besides the
high settlements at the top of the knoll
at both Turmisa, and Jado at the middle
of the mountain with its small museum
embracing samples of traditional items
narrating the whole region’s heritage
and history.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Desert occupies about 90%
of the whole area of the Libyan land, and stands
as the most important tourist resource, due to
its tourist signposts of special importance,
these signposts include the large wealth of
pre-historic rock arts, landscape, the Oases,
Desert Lakes, and the fantastic culture and
folklore of the desert Oasis.
The Desert
with these huge tourist properties do
offer a unique destination for all types
of desert tourism, and a wide field for
both adventure among the Mountains
details, and to explore new experiences
among the splendid nature.
On the other hand it offers an excellent
opportunity for those who wish to live its
serenity and calmness beneath the clear sky.
The desert
climate is dry cold in winter and hot in
summer. |
|
|
|
The
nature of the desert do vary between
mountain sides like Akakus, Al-awinat ,
Masak-Mallat, and Masak- Sattafat, the
hilly sides of Al-hamada-Al-hamra, the
natural sculptured colons, tables, and
various rock formations, and the colourful
sand dunes: Edahan-Ubari,
Edahan-Murzuq, and the sand sea.
Besides the oases of Ghadames, Ghat,
Wadil-Haya and, Wadi-Eshati, Al-jufra,
and Al-kufra Oasis.
On
the other hand there are the Desert
Lakes at the sand sea, and the appeased
Volcanic area of Waw-Ennamous. |
|
The
Desert Oases in general are of matchless beauty
of their marvelous properties locating
generally at low lands where the natural water
resources are near to grow especially the palm
trees scattering on large vast of the Oasis,
about the sand-dunes, and fringe the lakes at
both the rocky side and at the sand-sea.
The Oases are always
distinguished with their old cities, cultural
heritage, and the small farms which had offered
food and water for their inhabitants among the
history.
The sand-dunes which cover large areas of the Libyan
Desert are not mere heaps of precipitates but
they are simple and systemized in an accurate
way and different shapes: crescent shaped,
domical, star shaped, net, and long sand dunes,
with wavy sides and various colors, and its
height offers the opportunity of sand skating,
and sand bath remedy, besides some other sand
sports.
|
|
|
|
The main sand dunes
regions are: Edahan-Ubari, Edahan -Murzuq,
The great sand sea, besides the sand
region in Ghadames which had gained a
tourist importance.
At
the sand-sea of Ubari are located the
Lakes of Gaber-Oun, Mandara, Umm-elma,
Mffo
among about 11 Lakes scattered at the
sand-sea, some of which are bordered by
very high sand dunes and fringed by palm
trees, Their sight enhanced by the long
way to reach them through the sand dunes
is one of the most amazing adventures of
the Libyan Desert, on the other hand
there is the beautiful lake of Bezzima
surrounded by the sands of Ribyana on
the way to Alkufra Oasis.
The Mountains and the knolls are the other wing
of the desert beauty, and the most famous and
important of which is the Akakus region at the south
western part of the country at the
borders of Algeria, extending north up
to Al-awinat, and south up to Ghat
paralleled to Tanazzoft valley.
This area is distinguished by its unique beauty,
with caves and mountain plates full of paintings
and carvings of pre-historic rock art, and its
colorful
variety of rocks and Mountains, besides the wide
range of natural sculptured rock formations,
such as canyons, colons of all colors and cone
shaped edges and hills at the foots of the sand
dunes. Then there
is Al-haruj with its various shapes and
formations, standing as the largest area in
Africa with covered by appeased Volcanoes. Al-haruj is located at the middle of
Libya, and can been reached through
different ways, as from Zalla oasis to
the north, Al-fugha oases to the west,
and Tmessa to the south west, seeming
that that area had been inhabited by
fierce animals, and tame ones living on
the lakes and water resources on the
pre-historic ages, as carvings of lions, elephants, and giraffes are
discovered at some locations in the
region, and sharp stone materials
making places at others, which age back
to the old and recent stone eras at Al-jidari and Ashadida
Valleys at the
north of Al-haruj. Waw-Ennamous is
described by the writers and the journalists who
visited it as the most beautiful natural sight
in the world. It is located at the south about
100 Kilometers away from Al-haruj, where
the Volcanic Mountain is surrounded by about 10
very colorful and beautiful Lakes, some of which
are of sweet water fringed by different trees
and plants, some others are of a dark red color
due to the shellfish living in them. In this
strange environmental system do live some
immigrant birds, foxes, wolves, and some kinds
of reptiles, besides a huge gather of insects. |
|
The other
Mountain side
is Jabal-Al-awainat near the south
borders with Egypt, which is visited for its
pre-historic paintings and carvings, and its
beautiful nature which invited the hawk to build
its nest on its heights.
On
the other hand there are some less important
Mountain sides like Jabal-Assawda.
On the Libyan Desert we do notice a huge number
of dry Valleys, which is against its dry nature,
but these areas are the richest ones of natural
water, thus they have been inhabited areas among
different eras of its history.
These
valleys do embrace the traces of the ancient
trade caravans together with a large variety of
medicinal plants and palm trees, which do offer
a good opportunity for the researchers and
nature lovers. The most famous desert Valleys in
Libya are: |
|
|
|
Wadi-Eshati, Wadi-ElHaya, which
had embraced (The Garamants) who lead
the most famous civilization at the
Sahara, Wadi-Etba, Wadi-Barjuj, and
the Valleys of Akakus, such as Wadi-Ayadhar, the pass of Takharkhowry,
Wadi-Afizzijaran, Wadi-Tishwainat, and
others.
There are
also some rocky plains of colorful
gravels and pebbles, like Al-Hamada Al-hamra, and Hamadat-Tenghart.
Libyan
Desert has an advantage of animal life
enduring the aridity and cruel life of
long terms, and the poor various
vegetation, these animals are Gazelles,
and mountain goats, in addition to some
kinds of birds and insects among the
desert oases in Libya is Ghadames,
which is one of the most important
desert oases, standing as a witness to
human rehabilitation of the desert, and
its importance increased after declaring
it as one of the humanitarian heritage
regions in Libya. |
|
|
 |
|
