LIBYA

The country has known its ups and downs, but the historical monuments are a testimony of the great Libyan civilization of old. Look at the engravings of the AKAKUS mountains, the drawings in the MATCHANDOUSH caves. The cities of JARMA, ZAKAKRA, and SABHA' in the south, and the historical city of GHIRZA in the centre.

The first site most tourists visit is TRIPOLI, Libya's biggest city, the queen of the seas. It is an historical site. the city of Islamic civilization, Arab art and handicraft, where every monument tells a story. TRIPOLI has changed little since its foundation in the first millennium BC: it is still a lush garden filled with olive trees, palms, grapevines, and orange groves. The city has a wealth of old and new monuments.

Travel east or west, to nearby LIBDAH or SABRATAH, and soak up all the history. Shopping is a great pleasure, especially in the popular markets where you can buy a great variety of Libyan handicrafts such as traditional clothes, carpets, handmade gold and silver jewellery, copper and silver dishes, leather goods, and pottery.

Take the highway east to the magnificent cities of the Green Mountain: DARNAH with its falls and splendid coast; AL BAYDA', a quiet city high up in the mountains; ancient SHAH'HAT (Cyrene) and beautiful SUSAH (Apollonia), TULMAYTHAH, TUKRAH, RA'S AL HILAL....

Libya offers you two thousand kilometers of splendid beaches, and some beautiful small cities each with its typical architecture and special characteristics, like AUWARAH, TUBRUQ, MISRATAH, AZ ZAWIYAH, AL-KHUMS, and ZLITAN.

As you go further and further into the desert, all you meet are waves and waves, "the great sand sea", but then there are the refreshing oasis. The history, the monuments and tales told by the locals make this place unique. It is a feast for the senses..

The jewel of the desert is GHADAMES, a mélange of natural beauty, important monuments and a distinctive architectural style for which it is famous.

Libya may be the land of ancient civilizations, but it also looks to the future. It is a country of peace. Libya, a land touched by history.