Slonta Temple

At Slonta in the Jebel Akhdar a chamber cut into the rock is carved on its walls with a crowd of figures: human heads, animals, snakes, a seated figure and forms that do not read easily, executed in a style that has nothing to do with Greek or Roman sculpture and is generally taken as indigenous Libyan work, possibly pre-Greek. Its purpose and date are both unresolved and it remains one of the odder sites in North Africa.

What to look for

• The carved chamber - the rock-cut room with figures across its walls.
• The indigenous style - carving unlike Greek or Roman work of any period.
• The unresolved date - a site whose age and purpose are still argued.
• The Jebel setting - the upland country the sanctuary sits in.

When to go

March to May and October to November are the comfortable months. The site is small and an hour covers it. Winter brings rain to the Jebel.

Practical notes

The carvings are weathered and hard to read, and photographs generally show more than the eye does. There is no interpretation at the site. Travel in Libya requires arrangements through a licensed operator.

Nearby

Cyrene is north, and Al Bayda is northwest.