Cyrene

Cyrene, set in the green, fertile highlands of the Jebel Akhdar in eastern Libya, was one of the greatest cities of the ancient Greek world, founded by settlers from the Aegean and later a splendid Roman city, and its ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Spread dramatically across the hillsides above the coast, it preserves the vast Sanctuary of Apollo with its spring and temples, a huge Temple of Zeus rivalling those of Greece itself, an agora, theatre, gymnasium and an extensive necropolis of rock-cut tombs. Green, panoramic and steeped in classical history, Cyrene is a magnificent and evocative window on the Hellenic civilisation of North Africa.

History

A Greek tradition recorded by Herodotus says that settlers from the island of Thera, led by Battus I and prompted by the oracle at Delphi, founded the city in 631 BC, and the earliest Greek pottery on the site confirms settlement in the mid-7th century BC; the Greeks themselves told of Apollo bringing the huntress Cyrene here. Ruled by Battus' descendants, it became the most powerful city in the region in the 6th century BC, and in the 4th century BC it was the seat of the Cyrenaic school of philosophy founded by Aristippus, a pupil of Socrates. In the Hellenistic age it was by turns part of Ptolemaic Egypt and the capital of its own kingdom, and in 96 BC it passed to Rome, becoming part of the province of Crete and Cyrenaica. The city was wrecked during the Diaspora Revolt of AD 115 and slowly rebuilt, earthquakes in 262 and 365 devastated it, and after the Muslim conquest of 642 the site was abandoned until an Italian military base was set up here in 1913. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1982 (Wikipedia, Cyrene, Libya).

Highlights

• The Sanctuary of Apollo - the temples and sacred spring.
• The Temple of Zeus - the vast temple rivalling those of Greece.
• The agora and theatre - the civic heart of the Greek city.
• The necropolis - the extensive rock-cut tombs.

When to go

Spring and autumn, roughly March to June and September to November, are loveliest in the green highlands, when the Jebel Akhdar is mild and, in spring, bright with wildflowers; summers are warm and winters cool and wet. The panoramic hillside setting is best enjoyed in clear, mild weather.

Things to know

Cyrene is an extensive site spread across hillsides, so exploring its scattered sanctuaries, temples and tombs involves a good deal of walking on uneven ground. As one of the greatest Greek cities of the ancient world, a UNESCO World Heritage marvel set in green highlands above the sea, though, Cyrene is a magnificent and deeply rewarding place.

Nearby

The port ruins of Apollonia and the Green Mountain coast lie nearby.

Key facts