Leptis Magna Archaeological Site

Leptis Magna Archaeological Site

Location: Khoms, Murqub District

Best known: hometown of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus

Best time to visit: Oct- June

 

History of Leptis Magna Archaeological Site

Leptis Magna Archaeological Site

Leptis Magna Archaeological Site is an ancient Roman port town situated near modern city of Khoms in the Murqub District and 130 km (81 mi) East of Tripoli in Libya. Leptis Magna Archaeological Site was originally found by colonists from Phoenicia in the Eastern Mediterranean who moved here in 1100 BC. Later it became part of the Carthage Empire, but after its defeat in a Third Punic War and final destruction in the 2nd century, Leptis Magna became part of the Roman Republic. The city grew in size and importance under the new rule. However with the invasions of the barbaric tribes and dawn of the Dark Ages Leptis Magna began to decline. Berber tribes repeatedly attacked the city in the 6th century. By the middle of the 7th century the city was largely abandoned except for Byzantine garrison that took refuge behind its mighty walls. The isolation of this archaeological site help to preserve many of the structures unlike other parts of the Roman Empire where ancient structures were simply taken apart for its stone. Leptis Magna is one of the best preserved ghost towns of the Roman Empire that will give you an idea what it was like to be a Roman citizen during peak of the Empire. The best time to visit the site between cooler months of October to June when desert turns into a grassland with many flowers blooming among the ancient ruins.

Leptis Magna Archaeological Site  Leptis Magna Archaeological Site

General
Leptis Magna is located near the city of al-Khums, about 120 km east of Tripoli. Within the large ruins, the Severan triumphal arch, the thermal baths, the old and new forum and the theater from Roman times are worth seeing. On the opposite side of Wadi Lebdah is the very well preserved and restored amphitheater and seafront Circus. It is the largest preserved ancient city in the world.

In 1912, immediately after the area had been annexed as a result of the Italo-Turkish War (1911–1912), Italian-directed archaeological excavations began. The Severan triumphal arch was also reconstructed at this time. Benito Mussolini, in particular, who established a dictatorship in Italy in 1922, then pushed the excavations because he intended to justify the establishment of a colonial empire in North Africa by saying that the area was Roman before the Muslim conquest and is therefore now ruled by Rome again must be. The fascists used Leptis Magna and other Roman cities in the Magreb as support for these claims; the local excavators therefore received enormous government support. With the Second World War, these largely came to a standstill. After the end of the fighting, Italian archaeologists continued to work in Leptis on a smaller scale than before, until Muammar al-Gaddafi forced them to leave the country for the time being.

In 1982 Leptis Magna was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Only 5% of the city area has been excavated so far. However, due to the unfavorable winds blowing over the city, hot and dry from the desert and wet and salty from the sea, the exposed parts of the city are decomposing, and there are voices against further excavation of the city.

History
Leptis was probably the first Phoenician trading colony in Tripolitania (8th century BC). It came first under the suzerainty of Carthage and then, after the conquest by Numidia, finally under Roman rule (46 BC). In the Roman Empire, Leptis Magna gained great importance and prosperity as a trading center for exotic animals from Africa, supplied by the Garamantes via the Trans-Saharan trade. Above all, lions and elephants were needed for the circus games throughout the empire. During the clashes between Pompey and Caesar, the city fought Caesar and after his victory was punished with a tribute of 100,000 hectoliters of olive oil. Up to 100,000 people are said to have lived in Leptis Magna during this time. After the city had already been elevated to colonia under Trajan (from then on all free residents had Roman citizenship), Emperor Septimius Severus (ruled 193 to 211), who came from Leptis Magna, bestowed the ius italicum on the place, which meant extensive liberation of taxes meant. The emperor also had his home town expanded magnificently. Most of the buildings, which are still impressive today, date from this period. The port was also rebuilt under Septimius Severus, who u. a. built a lighthouse of which only the foundations remain today. It was over 35 m high and, according to ancient written sources, resembled the Pharos in Alexandria. Of the port facilities, the eastern pier, warehouses, the ruins of an observation tower and part of the docks used for loading goods have survived. Near the port are the remains of the large temple dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus.

As Emperor Gordian III. After the Six Emperors in 238, the Legio III Augusta, which had been responsible for protecting the area against plundering nomads, was dissolved. Although it was once again appointed provincial capital under Emperor Diocletian and experienced a renewed boom in the 4th century, the city lost importance after it was conquered by the Vandals (455). Around 530 the city, led by a local aristocrat named Pudentius, rebelled against the Vandals and summoned Eastern Roman troops; In 533, under Emperor Justinian, Leptis was reintegrated into the Roman Empire and experienced a last aftergrowth as the seat of a dux limitis. The conquest of the city by the Arabs (probably 647) was decisive. Soon after, under the latter, Oea (Tripoli) became the new center of Tripolitania, Leptis Magna was abandoned by the populace.

The titular diocese of Leptis Magna of the Roman Catholic Church goes back to a late antique diocese of the city.