Cyrene (Shahhat)

Cyrene, or Kyrene, is the best-preserved Greek city in the region of Cyrenaica. It is Libya's second important historic site, surpassed only by the Roman ruins at Lepcis Magna. Apollonia (present-day Marsa Sousa), 16 km (10 mi) to the north, served as the port of Cyrene.

It is thought that Cyrene was established in the 7th century BC. In 96 BC the Romans took control. Jewish fighters destroyed it in 115 and it was slowly rebuilt. In 262 and 365, Cyrene was destroyed once again, but this time by earthquakes. After Muslims conquested the region in 642, the city was abandoned.

Excavations started in 1913. There are numerous temples, tombs and agora at Cyrene, as well as a gymnasium and theatre, built in the same style as the ones at Delphi.

The ruins are spread out over a large area and excavations are still underway, so you will see many statues and mosaics still partly covered by vegetation and sand, but enough of the old city has been unearthed to give you a good impression of its original grandeur.

The site is large enough to keep you busy for a day or so. Cyrene was included in UNESCO's list of world heritage sites in 1982.

Points of interest

The Acropolis is at the western end of the so-called Street of Battus, which is the main drag through the site. The acropolis was the location of the Royal Palace. It was also the location of the Fountain of Apollo, which is also known as the royal spring.
The Agora sits at the center of Cyrene. It features and eastern and a western Stoa (covered walkway) and includes several temples, such as the Temple of Apollo Archegetes.
The House of Jason Magnus.
The Caesareum and Stoa of Hermes and Heracles.
The Caravanserai served as an inn, during ancient times.
The Sanctuary of Apollo includes the temple of Apollo, which was built in the 7th century BC. There is also a temple to Demeter, as well as a necropolis that covers almost the entire distance between Cyrene and its ancient port of Apollonia.
The Central Quarter.
The largest temple in ancient Cyrene was the Temple of Zeus. It dates from the 5th century BC and it was destroyed in 115 AD during the Jewish attack on the city. In 175, the temple was partly rebuilt and somewhere between 185 and 192, a huge statue was added. In 365, an earthquake destroyed the temple once again and later the remains were burnt to the ground by a mob of Christians.
East Church.
The Extramural Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone includes a temple and theater complex. As its name suggest, it is located outside the city walls, south of the Wadi Bil Ghadir ravine. The buildings of the sanctuary are spread over a wide area that stretches for more than 30 km (20 mi) and date from the 7th century BC to the 3rd century AD. Items excavated at the site include pottery, lamps, coinage, stone sculpture, jewellery, inscriptions, glass and both bronze and terracotta figurines.
Most of the graves in the Necropolis consist of rock-cut tombs, temple-tombs and sarcophagi. People were buried there between the 6th century BC and the 5th century AD. The Necropolis covers some 20 km² and stretches from Cyrene nearly all the way to the ancient port of Apollonia, making it one of the largest ancient Greek necropoleis in the world.
The northern part of the necropolis has been better preserved. In the south, the city of Shahat encroaches onto it and graves on that side have been bulldozed to make room for housing. Many small statues of the so-called 'Goddess of Death' were found there. The consists of a female bust, depicted in the process of unveiling herself. The statue is often faceless.
An ancient Water Canal was exposed after a flood in 2013. It is though that this water system was constructed by the Romans.

Since not many people visit the site, there are hardly any facilities. Cyrene is often referred to as Shahhat. It sits on a ridge of the Jebel Akhdar uplands overlooking the sea, about 825 km east of Tripoli.

Hotels in Cyrene

Images

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