Travel's Itinerary
Program of the trip from the 26th Dec. 1999 ti the 04 th Jan. 2000
26 Dec, Italy - Zurich - Benghazi
Departure from Italy with flight Swissair for Benghazi via Zurich. Arrival at the dead of night.
27 Dec, Benghazi - Teukira - Tolemaide - Qasr Libya - Al Bayda (210 kms)
Departure from Benghazi by the coastal road, to discovery Cyrenaica, the region of the ancient Greek pentapolis. Stop in Tocra, the ancient Teukira, port and Greek colony of Cyrene, whose rests have access through the door of a old Turkish castle built on the cliff. Continuation to Tolemaide (Ptolemais), important Greek-Roman port, whose archaeological area contains numerous jewels: the Hellenistic theater, beautiful villas, the Palast of the columns and the extraordinary imposing cisterns. The small museum contains a rich collection of splendid mosaics and statues. Then the road reaches the first terrace of the Jebel Akhdar, the green mountain, the most fertile zone of the region. Stop to Qasr Libya, where two solitary Byzantine basilicas has extraordinary mosaics with mythological subject. Following the profile of the Jebel arrival to Al Bayda, the white city.
28 Dec, Al Bayda - Apollonia - Cyrene - Benghazi (270 kms)
In Al Bayda, short visit in the mosque-sanctuary of Sidi Rafa, emir of the region, near whose grave fell in an ambush Omar to the Mukhtar, rebellious-chief that fought against the Italian colonial domination. Then visit of the masterpieces of the Greek art in Africa.
Apollonia, surrounded of boundaries of Hellenistic epoch, is stretched on a rectangular area, in the shore of the sea. The three great paleochristian basilicas, the Palast of the Dux (Byzantine governor), the rests of the acropolis and finally the theater, testify the greatness and the importance of this city that was the natural port of Cyrene, apart from the capital of the Byzantine dominion in Africa. After that, the road climbs along the ancient way that, through the big rocky necropolis, reaches the top of the hill on which the Greeks founded Cyrene, the most beautiful of their colonies, country of Callimacus and Carneade. The archaeological area is extended on more levels, to shelter of two rocky spurs separated by a valley. The sanctuary of Apollo and the source of the nymph Kyras were for centuries the most important place of cult of the city, that was enriched of theaters, of an imposing grammar school, of splendid villas. From the agorà the road departs toward the acropolis and its arcade goes down up to the Sanctuary of Apollo. Farther, the grandiose temple of Zeus. The visit of Cyrene leaves indelible traces. Arrival to Benghazi in the late evening.
29 Dec, Benghazi - Misurata (850 kms)
After a short visit of the city, we leave Benghazi by the road that coasts along the immense Gulf of Sidra. In this region, flat and arid, new Libya is rising, marked by the grandiose work of the big artificial " river ". Stop in Sultan, that was an important religious center of the Moslem Fatimidis and that entertains a small museum. In the outskirts lie the rests of the bronzy statues of the brothers Filenis and of the arch erected by Balbo in the years ' 30. Arrival to Misurata in the evening.
30 Dec, Misurata - Leptis Magna - Gharian (200 kms)
After a short tour of the city, visiting the Turkish market and the tower of Gotzlik, we continue for the Roman city of Leptis Magna, one of the most imposing archaeological sites and better preserved of the world. The city, of Punic origin, flourishing port and crossroad of commercial traffic, became grandiose to the will of its most illustrious child, Septimus Severus, become Roman emperor in 193 AD, that transformed it and built imposing monuments whose magnificence had to be in rivalry with that of imperial Rome. The big Arch of triumph, the Nympheum and the Arcade, the basilica, the Forum, adorned by precious columns and by the magnificent heads of the gorgonis, the Calcidicus, ancient market of cloths, the theater and the rests of the numerous temples are silhouetted against the sea; and then still the circus, the amphitheater and the museum, with its collection of statues and ancient coins.
In the afternoon, climbing the buttresses of the Jebel Nafusa we reach Gharian, land of Berbers, of which we discover the troglodytic residences , underground caverns dug in the red earth.
31 Dec, Gharian - Yefren - Sinawan - Ghadames (550 kms)
Departure in the morning for Ghadames, the pearl of the Sahara, running along the road of the plateau, then a short stop in Yefren, Berber village castled on a spur of the mountain. We continue between fields of olive-trees, cypresses and acacias, then the road directs toward south in a pre-desertic region. Stop in the oasis of Sinawan, between the ruins of an old castle, near an ancient salt pans. Then finally Ghadames. Traditional supper with folk tuareg music.
01 Jan, Ghadames
Ghadames, splendid example of Saharian architecture, is a beautiful city-oasis, lived by Berbers and Tuareg. Its fortune is the presence of numerous natural sources. The old city, tangled labyrinth of underground alleys, patrimony of the humanity has been recognized. In a beautiful restored house, flood of mirrors and colors, a traditional lunch is consumed. After the visit to the small museum, we go in the outskirts, to the discovery of the small turquoise lake of Ain al-Deban, surrounded by tamerisks in full desert and to admire the sunset from the the dunes of red sand that coast along the Algerian border. The tea in the desert is obligatory.
02 Jan, Ghadames - Nalùt - Tripoli (620 kms)
Departure in the morning for Tripoli. Stop in Nalùt to visit the strengthened castle-barn of this Berber town, castled on the layers of the Jebel Nafùsa. Short deviation to visit Qasr al-Haj, other interesting Berber barn, partly today used still by the farmers of the village. The structure of the Qasr is a perfect oval, encircled by tall boundaries and constituted to the inside by numerous cells, prepared on more levels. It was also used for preserving the oil, in splendid jars. In the court they are scattered big amphoras and agricultural utensils. Arrival to Tripoli in the evening.
03 Jan, Excursion to Sabràtha (70 kms x 2)
Departure in the morning for Sabrátha. Short stop in Janzur, to visit the small museum that preserves a beautiful monumental grave and continuation for the city of Apuleius. Sabràtha, ancient Punic emporium, rich Roman colony, Byzantine garrison, for centuries has remained hidden by the sand, eroded from the time and from the sea. Only the recent excavations have brought to light this grandiose city, that has the greatest and most splendid Roman theater of the whole Africa. The visit begins from the museum, that preserves a splendid Byzantine mosaic, continues along the Cardus and in the heart of the city. Temples, fountains, the Forums, the Curia, the Christian churches, the district of the crushers toward the sea and then the big monumental theater, superb unforgettable jewel of the Roman art.
The return to Tripoli in the afternoon in time for a panoramic visit of the city.
04 Jan, Tripoli - Zurich - Italy
The forenoon has devoted to the visit of the museum of the castle, the Marcus Aurelius's Arch, the Medina, the house Karamanly and the suq. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport and reentry in Italy.
