I have had the honour to visit Libya for business several times this past year. Each trip has open-ed my eyes to wonderful new things. Fortunately, I have been able to find time to explore parts of this magnificent country at the heart of the Mediterranean. Now that relations are beginning to thaw between Libya and The Unit-ed States, I hope more of my fellow countrymen are able to visit so they too can experience Libya's rich history. Oil has been an important commodity for Libya the past 40 years but its rich history and proud people are really its greatest assets. No place better exemplifies its rich history than Leptis Magna - arguably the most well preserved and most extensive Rom-an city in the world. So special is this place, that it has been designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).Instantly you can imagine yourself traveling back in time to a distant civilization some two thousand years ago. Lazily walking along its cobblestone streets you are amazed with the sheer number of marble pillars that reach for the heavens. Overlooking the Mediterranean, you can imagine ships coming from far away lands. Vivid colours adorn the clothes of the multitudes of people here to trade and sell. Every tribe of North Africa is represented here at Leptis. Merchants sell animals, rare riches and textiles made from the best materials. Ninety minutes by car is all it takes as you travel east of Tripoli, along Libya's magnificent northern coast. According to the scholars, it was the Phoenicians that first developed Leptis around 1100 BC. But the great city did not gain prominence until a thousand years later when Carthage came to power in the Mediterranean. Roman Emperor Tibe-ius formally incorporated Leptis into the Roman Empire around 46 B.C. But the real emergence of Leptis Magna came as Emperor Septimus Severus, a native son of Leptis was crowned Emperor of Rome in 193 A.D. Archeological buildings, theaters, bathhouses and markets were built of the finest materials Rome could supply. Limestone, marble and granite were brought from Greece, Ita-y, Egypt and Asia. Emperor Septimus spared no expense and made Leptis Magna the third most-important city in Africa, rivaling Carthage and Alexandria. In 205, he and the imperial family visited the city and received great honors. A monument commemorating this historic occasion, the Severan Arch, is the first thing you see today as you walk in the park.Existing to this day the archeological buildings, markets, bathhouses and theaters of Leptis Magna are a testament to the magnificent engineering, craftsmanship and sheer determination that made the Roman Empire great. Leptis was sacked by a Berber tribe in 523 A.D. and quickly abandoned. It was reclaimed by na-ture and remained buried under sand for more about 800 years - perfectly protected. Not until the early 1900s was Leptis re-discovered - with the first major excavation to unearth the lost city be-ginning around 1920. You can spend several hours here and even the kids won't get bored. The Libyans have done a wonderful job excavating the site and are wonderful hosts. Unlike most historic places in the United States you can touch, climb and take pictures of anything you like at Leptis. The only thing not allowed is taking relics home as souvenirs. Leptis lies right beside the sea, access to the beach is easy and a quick swim is pleasant on a hot day. If relations between Libya and the United States continue to warm Leptis Magna will become a tourist hotspot like no other in Northern Africa.
John McLemore
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