Libya was not what I expected, but mostly what I hoped it would be.
First Impressions and Surprising Encounters
The frequent police checkpoints, the “handlers” who shadowed us everywhere, the local militia seizing a desert town and disrupting our travel plans, the extraordinary Roman ruins ‒ these were anticipated.
The warmth and sincerity of the people, and their high standard of living despite the troubles, were a surprise.
Tourism and Political Climate
Long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi was finally starting to allow some tourism in the 2000s and arrivals were growing. With the revolution and his overthrow in 2011, the borders slammed shut.
Civil war brought partition and two opposing governments, both claiming legitimacy. A ceasefire has mostly held since 2020.
The atmosphere remains tense and suspicious, but the tourism door is slightly ajar again, with restrictions and potential perils.
Arrival and Introduction to Handlers
I got a quick entry stamp on arrival, but then they took my passport and made me wait well over an hour.
Commiserating with several Syrians going to jobs on ships in Tripoli harbor, speculation was that they were looking into our backgrounds and social media for any reason we should be denied entry.
Then I met my mandatory handlers: Mustapha of the Tripoli police and Ibrahim, an official from the tourism department (possibly also a cop). They were my shadows all day, every day, to “protect me” and “smooth any problems,” I was told.
But probably also to make sure I didn’t talk politics with locals, make contact with subversives, photograph taboo sites, etc. When I strayed even a short distance, I was quickly reined in.
Exploring Old Tripoli
Walking the lanes of Old Tripoli was eye-opening because of how genuine and unspoiled it was. With minimum outside influence for decades and especially no tourism impact, the city center has evolved organically and indigenously.
There are no cars (though occasional small motorcycles barrel through way too fast) in the intimate maze of passageways divided by frequent arches. The rush of people on the stone and cobbled walking streets, carrying loads, shopping, and socializing, becomes frenetic as the day progresses into evening.
Street lights are wrought-iron lanterns mounted on walls. Lintels, jambs, and windows are often of limestone, some from ancient times – indeed the entrance to the old city, founded by the Romans, is a massive Roman monument.
The partially reconstructed gateway arch, named for Emperor Marcus Aurelius, with many carved relief figures, is unique in the Roman world in that it is made with a local coral-colored marble rather than Italian marble.
Just outside the old town, near the waterfront, is a reminder of the Fascist-era: an area of austere buildings and squares built by the Italians during colonial times. Most structures are now government buildings, while the large cathedral was converted to a mosque.
The Flight of the Swifts
A wondrous sight appears at dusk daily: the flight of the swifts. Tens of thousands suddenly appear in the sky, gather into a great black comet, and swoop and dive and dip over Tripoli, a swath of streaking, densely packed avians flying in unison – before returning to their roost for the night.
Meeting the People of Tripoli
Most impressive, though, was the demeanor of the people. Plying the streets of Tripoli, they are respectful and welcoming, acknowledging me with smiles and surprise.
My presence is an anomaly because tourists in general are rare. I hear “Welcome to Libya” repeatedly. People here and there struck up conversations in limited English, and Italian too.
I was struck by the sincerity of the people. The warm welcome and politeness was a lovely feeling, and unexpected in a war-torn country that has still not recovered from the civil war and is in the limbo of partition.
The Political Context
Despite the great vibe, this is still the Libya of today.
Repeatedly, I was warned of the fraught political situation: “Do not go beyond the immediate area around the hotel on your own, because police will likely stop and arrest you, then take you to the police station for questioning,” explained my Tripoli guide, Abu Bakar. “
It would not be pleasant,” he added. It is such a contradiction to the wonderful demeanor of the people.
“Of all the places we go in North and West Africa, Libya is the most difficult because things are so unpredictable,” said Oriol, who coordinated my Libya trip for tour operator Against the Compass.
Challenges and Cancellations
The assessment was not hyperbole: my visit to Ghadames, the ancient Saharan caravan and trading hub that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was suddenly cancelled because the destination became too dangerous.
An armed group had taken over the city and was shaking down and robbing people, possibly worse (there are a number of militias in Libya’s Saharan region, some with religious and/or political affiliation, some just bandits).
Exploring Ancient Roman Ruins
The overused phrase “The Glory that was Rome” takes on new meaning at Leptis Magna. It is one of the great ancient sites dotting today’s Mediterranean region because it is so well preserved.
Abandoned in the 7th century, it was forgotten under layers of sand until modern times. Today, the remains of the entire city ‒ a prosperous jewel of the empire and Rome’s African capital with a population of 100,000 at its height in the second century ‒ sprawl across gentle hills by the sea.
The scope of the ruins is dazzling: a huge hippodrome (larger than Rome’s!); a large colosseum; extensive bathhouses; grand villas; temples to an array of gods; relief work carved into stone by ancient artists; a massive amphitheater; a protected port formed by reclaiming land between a string of tiny islands; an old Roman Forum as well as a much larger new one; and spectacular arches that were gateways into the metropolis.
Many of the structures of this once-powerful city have been partially rebuilt under the direction of Italian archaeologists.
They rise above a serendipitous sea of fallen columns, limestone blocks, and building stones, enabling one to imagine and understand the sophisticated Roman lifestyle of two millennia ago.
Read More: Antalya: Türkiye’s Dynamic Beach Resort with Surprising Roman Ruins
The Grandeur of Sabratha
Sabratha is the other great Roman ruin of Libya and, though smaller, is really no less grand than Leptis Magna.
What was the other great metropolis of Rome’s important and prosperous North African colony of Tripolitania was in some ways more enjoyable to visit: it’s more compact, immediate, and intimate yet also with many grand structures; so many of the mosaics that adorned villas and public areas have survived the millennia; and the seaside setting is perfect – the Mediterranean can be seen from almost anywhere you stand in the ruins.
Road Travel and Checkpoints
Driving to Leptis Magna and Sabratha, and indeed anywhere in Libya, there were frequent police checkpoints on the roads. Sometimes they wanted to see papers, and searched the car. Sometimes they waved us through after exchanging a few words with my handlers.
A Peek into the Berber Heritage
Driving south into the desert, the ancient Berber villages and granaries, long abandoned, were so evocative and eccentric that they conjured up whimsical Hollywood adventure fantasies and epic tales of forgotten times.
Gaser Al-Hadj was just two hours from Tripoli, but it was a world away. The circular, four-story granary, purportedly more than 2,000 years old, functioned like an early bank: people (and later Muslim pilgrims going to Mecca) stored their wealth here – olive oil, grains, and the like ‒ to protect it from the weather, wild animals, and thieves.
Surrounded by a ruined Berber village, the esoteric architecture is fascinating: Siena-colored mud and stone, numerous odd-shaped openings, with myriad tree branches protruding from the façade – to climb up or attach pulleys to load the storage chambers.
Further on, the deserted, arcane Berber hamlet of Tarmisah was a hoot with its goofy leaning towers and gnarly design of mud and rock walls, stacked-rock columns, and vaulted ceilings reinforced with branches.
Set on a high promontory, the panorama was far-flung across a vast desert floor. At Kabaw, another ancient granary, the bizarre structure with alternating recessed and protruding storage rooms appeared to be the inspiration for the architecture of the Flintstones cartoon show.
Misurata and Remnants of Revolution
In Misurata, the revolution is still raw and alive. It was ground zero of the war that brought down Gaddafi. Misurata is a prosperous, modern city and the country’s major port.
But the area where the battle was most furious has been left untouched: shattered buildings riddled with bullet holes remain side-by-side with destroyed military vehicles and piles of shells and other war materiel.
Adjacent stands sell the flag of the revolution as well as hats and other paraphernalia. It is all a monument to what happened there.
I took Misurata by surprise. While Tripoli sees a tiny trickle of foreigners, Misurata gets virtually none. The residents were excited to see a tourist and welcomed me even more effusively than in Tripoli.
At the war ruins, cars still flying the flag of the revolution drove by, honked, and gave me a thumbs up.
The Future of Tourism in Libya
“This is the best year for tourism since the revolution,” enthused Tarek Ali, our guide at Sabratha. “I have many bookings because I think the word is getting out that Libya is safe and welcoming, rather than a dangerous or violent place.”
Other guides corroborated, telling me this is the busiest time since Gaddafi was overthrown; airlines have been adding flights to Tripoli; and Libyans are delighted visitors are again coming to their country.
Yet, incidents like the armed takeover of Ghadames still happen, and militias remain a threat in the desert areas; though a ceasefire is holding, there are still two opposing governments claiming legitimacy, and visitors, whether with a group or a private guide, still must have a cop and tourism department representative in tow.
Libya’s Political and Tourism Uncertainty
It was more than 100 years ago that the Italian colonists united the three disparate regions of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan for the first time, creating a single colony that would become modern Libya.
They are again divided, so Libya’s political and tourism future remains an unknown.
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