Not unlike most of the countries that are to be found in the region of the Mediterranean, Libya has an ancient history that can be traced back to the earliest civilisations known to have lived in the area.

Like the majority of the countries of the Mediterranean, Libya also repeatedly fell victim to the conquering and expansionist ambitions of the stronger powers that emerged at the time. Besides, in conformity with several of the countries of the region, Libya was to experience its greatest cultural, social and religious revival during the era of the Arabs

Travelling from the east and founding the city of Cairo on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, the Arabs moved across the North African littoral to the west. From there they crossed the Mediterranean Sea to conquer newer lands, settling in Sicily, Malta and Spain, and venturing further north to certain parts of France.

Wherever they settled they brought with them a new culture … they cultivated the land, introduced several industries, and continued to develop the sciences, the arts, medicine and mathematics.

However, long before the Arabs first set foot in North Africa, Libya had already experienced, sometimes the joys and at other times the sorrows, of foreign occupation. Indeed, it is recorded that the first settlers in Libya were the Phoenicians.

Able seaman and traders from the east, from such places as Tyre and Sidon, the Phoenicians had ventured westwards across the Mediterranean seeking new colonies for their trade.

Roughly, during the same period of time they settled in Libya, Sicily and Malta, but it was in North Africa that they are reputed to have built the famous three cities …that of Oea, which is the ancient name for Tripoli, Leptis Magna and Sabratha.

Over the centuries that were to follow, and the many foreign powers that were to conquer Libya, Tripoli thrived and prospered to become the modern and cosmopolitan city that it is today.

On the contrary, Leptis Magna and Sabratha were to resist the passage of time ad the different ambitions of the many powers that had conquered the country only to a certain period … and today they exist only as magnificent ruins and reminders of an ancient past.

The fabulous remains of what was once the magnificent city of Leptis Magna lies to the east of Tripoli.

Rebuilt by the Romans centuries after the influence of the Phoenicians had declined and disappeared, the city was to retain much of its political importance as an administrative centre … until the Roman Empire itself was to disintegrate and Leptis Magna to be destroyed by the Vandals.

Outside of Rome itself, Leptis Magna was at that time considered to be one of the greatest showpieces of ancient Roman architecture of the then known world.

It was considered to be a leading example of Roman splendour, and to the present day the ruins of Leptis Magna remain as one of the best-preserved and outstanding archaeological sites in North Africa.

Called Magna in order to be distinguished from a lesser city not far away from ancient Carthage, Leptis was then one of the three big settlements that existed in the region of Tripolitania.

Many historians agree that Magna, meaning Great, was indeed demonstrative both of the great archaeological splendour of Leptis and of its great administrative importance during the times of the Romans.

Today, the ruins of that formidable city cover an area of some 250 acres …that are replete with time-worn and silent tributes to those distant days.

The magnificent ruins of Leptis Magna have already been featured in this newspaper, but so enormous is/was the city’s importance, that there is still a lot to say about it, perhaps from other angles and as we are specifically dealing with the archaeology and civilisation of Libya, we cannot but mention them again in great detail in this new, exclusive series.

The ruins there leave little to the imagination about the archaeological and engineering skills of the ancient Romans.

In fact, one renowned archaeologist has described Leptis Magna as a city that has literally been dug out of the sands of Libya to stand again as a monument to a culture that has long since been forgotten.

If the city itself has been unable to resist the passage of time, the legend that it must have been so many centuries ago still survives.

Historians agree that this now lost city was both a tribute and a monument to Roman power and cultural influence.

Roman architecture apparently lavished its best when the city was built … there were straight streets, and a number or arches together with many of the triumphal columns that Romans were apparently so very proud f.

There was the Forum and the Basilica, ad naturally the market place. Today, although the city now lives in silence, it has lost none of its awesome splendour; leaving no doubt to those who care to visit its ruins, about its importance and influence of the past.

(This is the first of a series of features about Archaeology and Civilisation, researched by Joseph Cutajar)

(to be continued)