Northern Cyrenaica is the name given to the area which incorporates the Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountains) and the coast east of Benghazi. Our first impression was ‘Wow, it really is green!’ – quite different to the desert environs around Tripoli. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years by many different groups of people. As a result, there are many ruins in the area which are now in varying states of preservation and restoration. Of particular interest here, are the Greek sites – Tolmeita (Ptolemais), Tocra, Cyrene and Appollonia. These were cities founded by the Ancient Greeks who lived in Libya between 631-75BC. After the Greeks, the Romans lived there too and made modifications as they saw fit. The cities have been beautifully preserved and in some cases restored a little. It is quite amazing to walk along roads that were walked on over 2000 years ago or to see statues and mosaics that adorned the houses and public areas. These are just some piccies to give you an idea….
Ptolemais
Theatre
Surface View of the Water Cisterns
Walking through the Cisterns
An Ancient Greek Shopping Mall!!
Roman Mosaics
Nice toosh! 
Cyrene
Entrance to the Gymnasium
A Small Theatre 
Latin and Greek Writing in the Forum
Greek Baths built into a cliff face 
Large Theatre
Temple of Apollo
Lion Statue in the Temple of Apollo 
The Necropolis - City of the Dead
Temple of Zeus
Cattle running across Roman Mosaic (there are no fences protecting the sites) 
Appollonia - the port city that serviced Cyrene
Detail on Column
Columns, columns, columns - you can never get enough!!!
Mosaic
Theatre
Arches in a Palace built by the Byzantines (Christian Romans who came a few hundred years later)
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