Africa

[Visited: September 2023]

Directly after arrival from a night flight from Istanbul, we head west from Mitiga airport near Tripoli. We make a short stop to have a drink, and after a short drive, park at the entrance of Sabratha. The ruins of Sabratha, that is: the ancient city that flourished more than 2000 years ago. A guide is already waiting for us, and we head off straight away. Our guide tells us more about the history of Sabratha while we walk north. It was probably already a settlement more than 2500 years ago, and was a Phoenician port from the 5th century BCE. Sabratha is a name the Greeks gave to it. After the fall of Phoenicia, Sabratha was ruled by Carthage, and after the Punic wars, it eventually ended up in Roman hands. It was the westernmost city of Tripolitania, was rebuilt, and flourished under the rule of Septimius Severus, the Roman emperor who was born in Leptis Magna.
But after earthquakes badly damaged the city, the Roman empire fell, and the Vandals took over, Sabratha started its decline. It lived a short revival under Byzantine rule, but when the Arabs invaded, its importance continued to dwindle, and it would become a mere village. The early 20th century did see excavations, and especially Italians under Mussolini's rule were bent to restore some of the former beauty of the city. In fact, our guide pulls out a booklet and shows us pictures of the fascist leader speaking at the inauguration of the restorations inn 1937. We have now reached an area near the sea. Here, restoration works have re-erected rows of columns, and we see mosaics on floors of what used to be baths. There is an olive oil press facility. Our guide tells us that parts of Sabratha have already disappeared into the sea, and erosion continues to eat away at the ancient city. Who knows what treasures now lie in the Mediterranean waves?
We now walk along the coastline, see side streets paved with large stones, and cross a big one which used to be the Decumanus Maximus, which leads east and ultimately connected Sabratha with the other two Roman cities. We see walls with carved female faces, we see the remains of a wall built during the Byzantine period, and remains of several temples. Our guide has saved the best for last: we approach the enormous theatre which is the pride of Sabratha. The entrance is monumental, and when we enter the central part of the building, we are in awe. A three-story building with columns rises from the stage. At its feet, we see a bas-relief with delicate carved figures of gods and mythological figures. We see a dolphin carved of rock. Inevitably, the guide asks us to climb a little higher so we can appreciate the acoustics when he talks. Much of the benches are still in place. I close my eyes to imagine being here during a performance some two thousand years ago. What would it have looked like? How did the audience react? How were the actors dressed? How long did performances last? But when I open my eyes, I see the ruins of a glorious theatre, and the guide asking me to follow him. We are heading towards the exit. To my disappointment, the museum of Sabratha has been closed since 2011 - it holds most of the mosaics found here at Sabratha. It will have to wait for a future visit.

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Sabratha (Libya)

Sabratha > Libya > Africa

[Visited: September 2023]

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