Alrwasi For Travel & Tourism
Day 1 :AT SEA /
DERNA/ LIBYA .
In the early morning, Boat sails from Europe to North Africa,
arriving in the evening, at the pleasant port city of Derna, the
ancient Darnis, on Libya’s Cyrenaican coast.
Day 2 DERNA /
CYRENE / APOLLONIA/| DERNA
.
Drive to Cyrene, one of the great ancient cities of North Africa.
Founded by Greek colonists from the island of Thera (Santorini) in
the 7th century B.C., Cyrene was built on the side of a hill facing
the plain and sea. Its substantial remains testify to its wealth and
power. On the return to the ship, stop at Apollonia, Cyrene’s port,
where its Museum displays excellent mosaics from the region’s early
Byzantine churches, among other objects.
Day 3
BENGHAZI / TAUCHEIRA | PTOLEMAIS | BENGHAZI .
From Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city and a major commercial
port, travel to the attractive area known as the Jebel Akhdar (Green
Mountains) to visit the remains of ancient Taucheira and Libyan
Ptolemais. One of the five cities of the Pentapolis, Taucheira was
founded in the 6th century B.C. by Greek settlers, and remained the
last Byzantine stronghold in Cyrenaica. One of the least excavated
sites in the region, Taucheira gives visitors the opportunity to
explore an ancient site before major excavations begin. North of
Taucheira is Ptolemais, an ancient port that occupies a narrow area
between the sea and the lower area of the Jebel Akhdar. Originally a
Greek settlement of the 7th century B.C., it was refounded by
Ptolemy III in the 3rd century B.C. as Ptolemais
Day 4SURT |
MADINAT SULTAN | SURT .
Arrive in Surt, Libya’s administrative center, for an excursion to
Madinat Sultan, an abandoned Fatimid city that served as a staging
post for the trans-Saharan caravans coming from the Fezzan, the vast
desert area in the south of Libya. Among the notable buildings are
the remains of a large mosque.
Day 5 MISRATAH |
ZLITEN| MISRATAH .
Call at Misratah, a
pleasant port town of wide avenues and tree-filled squares. Drive
through oases to Zliten, a small town whose Museum houses, among
other objects, exquisite Roman frescoes found in the nearby Villa
Dar Buc Ammera, the remains of which we will also visit. Dominating
Misratah is the Sidi Abdussalam Mosque, with its several domes and
minarets, built recently to house the shrine of Sidi Abdussalam, a
holy man born here in 1455.
Day 6 KHOMS |
LEPTIS MAGNA | KHOMS .
In the morning, reach Libya’s Tripolitanian coast, calling at Khoms.
Nearby are the ruins of Leptis Magna, surely among the most
extraordinary ancient sites in the Mediterranean. Leptis Magna
achieved its height under the Severan emperors in the 3rd century
A.D., who launched an unprecedented and lavish building scheme,
embellishing the city with extraordinary public facilities.
Excellently preserved to the present day, thanks to its burial under
shifting sands, this glorious coastal city gives a unique example of
ancient town planning. Spend the day exploring the site’s
magnificent buildings, monuments, temples, and streets.
Day 7 TRIPOLI |
SABRATHA | TRIPOLI
.
With
its spacious natural harbor, the site occupied by Tripoli attracted
Phoenician and Greek settlers as well as Romans, who left behind the
impressive triumphal arch to Marcus Aurelius. Tripoli later grew
wealthy through the Saharan caravan trade. Upon arrival, drive to
nearby Sabratha, the ancient city that started as a Carthaginian
trading post. Sabratha became a permanent settlement in the 4th
century B.C. and flourished in the Roman period. Beautifully
situated by the sea, the site’s ruins include temples, public baths,
fountains, and other buildings. The Museum is noted for its
collection of superb mosaics. Return to Tripoli in the afternoon to
spend the night aboard Callisto docked in port.
Day 8 TRIPOLI
Today, explore Libya’s capital, concentrating in the Medina, the
medieval walled town built on the site of the Roman settlement. Also
visit the Jamahiriya Museum, housed in the massive Citadel, which
dates from the medieval period. The Museum houses superb exhibits
from Libya’s Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic
periods. There will be time to independently explore the city’s
colorful souks.
Day 9 TRIPOLI |
DISEMBARKATION | airport transfer to the airport for return flights
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