Libya

Although the US State Department gives Libya a Level 4 travel advisory (due to terrorism, civil unrest, unexploded landmines, kidnapping, and armed conflict), it was easy to get a tourist visa. All I had to do was contact a reputable travel agency (Sherwes Travel), schedule a tour, buy an airplane ticket, fill out an on-line visa request, and pay for my tour. At the Tripoli airport, my guide (Mahmoud) escorted me through immigration and introduced me to my two body-guards (both named Mohammed). Within 30 minutes, I had a SIM card in my iPhone and a few dinars in my wallet — ready for a 5-day road trip in Mahmoud’s Mercedes.

Libya’s largest city and capital, Tripoli, is busy with shops, markets, parks, plazas, restaurants, hotels, apartments, office buildings, and mosques. Day and night, the streets are full of cars. Pedestrian areas are full of people. The only thing I didn’t see are tourists. In five days, I saw one other foreigner.

October is the start of Libya’s “cool” season. Although afternoon temperatures stayed below 35° C (95° F), I was glad that Mahmoud’s Mercedes had air conditioning.

Libya is a huge country, larger than Alaska. There have been no operational railways in Libya since 1965. I’m told that buses are unreliable. Fortunately, Libya’s roads are well-maintained, and at $0.12/gallon, Libya has some of the cheapest gasoline in the world, second only to Iran. So, having a car and driver was convenient, essential and affordable. Click the video above for a short drive through Tripoli. Music by Dawrni Talgani.

One of the first things I learned about Libya is how many foreign powers have colonized and ruled this region. As a result of all these occupying civilizations, Tripoli is a living museum of more than twenty centuries of different styles of architecture. Why was Tripoli such a strategic and valuable city to capture and control?

• Tripoli has a well-protected, natural port.
• Tripoli is close to Europe and about halfway between Gibraltar and the Levant.
• Tripoli is the northern terminus of a major Saharan trade route.
• Prior to the 20th century, Libya was a well-watered grassland that provided grain and livestock for Europe.

As a result of many foreign occupations, Libyans are a cultural and genetic mix of all the peoples who’ve lived around the Mediterranean, from Phoenicians to Spanish. Click the video above for a 1-minute stroll through the night market in Tripoli. Street markets are great for people watching.

One of Libya’s well-known archaeological sites is 75 kms west of Tripoli. Until the 7th century, Sabratah was a thriving metropolis. Today, you can stroll through the ruins of temples, buildings and monuments built by Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians.

From Sabratah, we drove south to the edge of the Libyan plateau. Here’s where the real Libyan desert begins. Steep cliffs and deep canyons protected the native Berbers and Tuaregs from invading European and Middle-Eastern armies.

Libya is 95% desert. The video above shows our drive from the coastal lowlands up to the Western Mountains, where the Libyan plateau begins. Music by Fadel Tutu, Ithran Jadu (Igeghas Tira).

On the plateau, we stopped at a Caravanserai on the trade route that in ancient times connected Timbuktu to Tripoli. Camel caravans stopped here to rest, get food and water, and to trade with other merchants. The main building was originally comprised of 114 chambers — corresponding to the number of chapters in the Quran. A thousand years ago, this was a busy hotel. Local farmers still use some of the rooms to store grain.

Nearby are some unusual homes. Although they’re called Troglodyte caves, there’s nothing primitive about these residences. These man-made caves are 6-10 meters below ground, carved into soft sandstone. The central courtyard is open to the sky, providing light and air. Spacious, comfortable rooms radiate from the courtyard. Being underground, the rooms are cool in summer, temperate in winter, and sheltered from winds and dust storms. With only one narrow entrance, these homes were easy to defend. The Bilhaj family has lived in one of these homes since 1666 and has plans to convert their home into a B&B. (If these homes seem familiar, it’s because Luke Skywalker grew up in a similar home on Tataouine.)

On any road trip, one makes regular stops for food and refreshments. Mahmoud consistently found excellent restaurants serving local cuisine. Mutton, rice and vegetables were the standard fare for lunches and dinners.

Libya’s largest, best-preserved and most famous Roman city is Leptis Magna. Because this city was the hometown of Emperor Septimius Severus, Leptis Magna benefitted from Roman support and construction funds. In the 2nd century, this city was home to about 100,000 citizens. The sports arena had seating for 18,000 to watch gladiatorial fights. After its demise in the 7th century, the entire city was buried by sand dunes, which allowed its majestic buildings and beautiful mosaics to be preserved until its discovery in the 20th century. I’ve visited many Roman ruins from Morocco to Syria. Leptis Magna looks almost new compared to other ancient cities I’ve seen.

Throughout my tour, I never felt unsafe or at risk in Tripoli or the surrounding countryside. Although I was viewed as an outsider and an oddity, everyone was gracious and friendly. Libya’s instability arises from several factors:

• The flooding in eastern Libya in September 2023 drowned more than 6000 people and left at least 40,000 homeless.
• The process of forming a unified government and the election of Libya’s president has been stalled since December 2021 amid disputes over the eligibility of the main candidates.
• Libya has not fully recovered from the overthrow and assassination of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. At least one Libyan lamented that Libya would be happier and more stable if Gaddafi were still alive.

Although Libya is definitely off the beaten tourist path, it was worth a visit. It’s my country #190. Only three more to go!