8 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Leptis Magna was once one of the most important African cities of the Roman Empire

The ancient city of Leptis Magna, as was its name in antiquity, was once one of the most prominent and beautiful cities of the Roman Empire.

Leptis Magna, also spelled Lepcis Magna, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Libya. It is located about 110 km east of Tripoli. It was built by the Phoenicians in the first millennium BC and later became part of the Carthaginian Empire before being absorbed into the Roman Empire in 46 BC.

The natural port at the mouth of the Wadi Labdah aided the city’s development as a major trading center. It also served as a market for agricultural products produced in the rich coastland region. It passed to Masinissa’s Numidian kingdom in 202 BC, at the end of the Second Punic War, from which it broke away in 111 BC to become an ally of Rome.

Septimus Severus  (reign 193-211 AD), who ascended to the throne of Rome in 193 AD, was born at Leptis Magna and therefore became its patron. He made significant investments in his hometown, converting it into one of Africa’s most important Roman cities. The majority of the extant structures at the site are Roman and date from Septimius Severus’ era.

General view of Leptis Magna
An aerial view of the ancient Roman city of Leptis Magna.

Among the many remains found in Severus’ home city, the marketplace, Severan Basilica, the Forum, the Amphitheatre, and the Severan Arch represent the beautiful Amphitheatre (dug into the ground of an old quarry), the colonnaded street, the Severn Forum, decorated with Gorgon heads, the massive Basilica, the Hippodrome, the Hadrian Baths, the Temples of Liber Pater, Hercules, Roma and Augustus, the Tiberio Arch, the Nymphaeum, the Oea Door, and the Palaestra. The existing Arch of Septimius Severus is a replica of the original arch, which has been moved to Tripoli.

The theater of Leptis Magna with a capacity of 15,000 spectators on its arched terraces overlooking the sea.
The theater of Leptis Magna with a capacity of 15,000 spectators on its arched terraces overlooking the sea.

However, Leptis began to fall in the following centuries as a result of rising border instability, culminating in a disastrous incursion in 363, and the Roman Empire’s mounting economic troubles. Leptis’s role as an urban center effectively ended with the Arab conquest of 642, and it fell into ruin.

Leptis Magna is an important Roman site because it is largely acknowledged as the best-preserved Roman city outside of Italy, and its well-preserved remains give a clear picture as to what a complete Roman city is.

A carved Gorgon head on arches surrounding the Severin forum, in the ancient Roman city of Leptis Magna near the coastal city of al-Khums, Libya. (AFP Photo)
A carved Gorgon head on arches surrounding the Severin forum, in the ancient Roman city of Leptis Magna near the coastal city of al-Khums, Libya. (AFP Photo)

The violence that wracked Libya after the 2011 revolt that toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi stirred fears for the ancient ruins, prompting United Nations cultural agency UNESCO to place them and four other Libyan sites on a list of global heritage in danger.

But so far, the areas have been mostly spared from the fighting, which has largely paused since an October 2020 cease-fire. Yet it faces other threats: a lack of resources and government support.

A short video reconstructing the theater.

This beautiful ancient city needs support to be passed on to future generations. And no visit to Libya is complete without seeing this magnificent Leptis Magna.

The most comprehensive research in the ancient city was conducted by Renato Bartoccini and published in 1958 after 30 years of fieldwork. The ‘Mission Archéologique Française en Libye’ also did much field work published by André Laronde in 1988, 1994 and 2005. Preliminary surveys were undertaken by the Universita Roma Tre between 1998 and 2007 (published by Luisa Musso et al. in 2010) and by the Universities of Oxford and Leicester in 2010 (published by Katia Schörle and Victoria Leitch in 2012). An underwater survey was performed by Carlo Beltrame in 2009 and published in 2012. (Researchers and publication information are to quote from Ancient Ports Antiques.)

Related Articles

1700-Year-Old ‘Cursed’ Sarcophagus on Display in Amasya Museum

30 March 2021

30 March 2021

Expressions made of Greek letters were encountered in the Roman sarcophagus found in the rescue excavation carried out by the...

1800-year-old statue head found in Ancient Smyrna Theater in western Turkey

30 July 2022

30 July 2022

A statue head dated to the 2nd century AD was unearthed during the excavations at the Ancient Smyrna Theater, located...

‘Incredibly Rare’ Roman Mausoleum Unearthed Near London Bridge Station

13 June 2023

13 June 2023

Archaeologists report discovering an “incredibly rare” and featured preserved floors and walls Roman mausoleum near London Bridge Station, UK. Archaeologists...

City swallowed by sea now center of boat tours

10 September 2023

10 September 2023

The Kekova region, or Sunken City, which has remained under the sea after two major earthquakes in the sixth century...

“Last Rhodes shipwreck” of Roman period found in Turkey’s Fethiye

5 March 2022

5 March 2022

Turkish researchers, a Rhodes shipwreck from the third century A.D. was discovered in the depths of the Gulf of Fethiye...

Archaeologists Uncover Large Roman-Era Complex Beneath Modern Melun

18 June 2025

18 June 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered significant remnants of the ancient Roman city of Metlosedum, now modern-day Melun, in a recent excavation revealing...

Roman-Era Sarcophagus Discovered on Varna Beach one of Bulgaria’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations

26 July 2024

26 July 2024

An ancient sarcophagus from the Roman era was discovered by chance on the beach near the resort of Saints Constantine...

Archaeologists find a Roman military watchtower in Morocco for the first time

7 November 2022

7 November 2022

A Roman military watchtower the first of its kind was discovered by a team of Polish and Moroccan archaeologists in...

In the city of Gods and Goddesses Magnesia, Zeus Temple’s entrance gate found

26 September 2021

26 September 2021

During an excavation in the ancient city of Magnesia, located in the Ortaklar district of Germencik in Turkey’s Aegean province...

1000-Year-Old Tomb Found in Perre Ancient City in southeast Turkey

1 July 2021

1 July 2021

A 1,000-year-old tomb was unearthed in the ancient city of Perre in Adiyaman province. Perre is one of the five...

A Roman bridge from the Republican era was discovered on Via Tiburtina

27 February 2022

27 February 2022

The remains of a rare Republican-era bridge have been discovered on the 12th kilometer of the Via Tiburtina, the ancient...

2,000-year-old altar found in Alexandria Troas

9 October 2021

9 October 2021

A 2,000-year-old altar was unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Alexandria Troas, in a region close...

The world’s largest Byzantine winepresses have been discovered in Israel

11 October 2021

11 October 2021

Archaeologists say they’ve discovered the world’s largest known Byzantine-era winery in the city of Yavne, south of Tel Aviv. The...

This Month in the “You Will See What You Don’t See” Project

11 February 2021

11 February 2021

Izmir Archeology Museum started to exhibit the unseen artifacts in its warehouses last month in the project that started under...

New Neolithic structure unearthed at Tas-Silġ in Malta

8 October 2021

8 October 2021

Archaeologists excavating at Tas-Silġ in Marsaxlokk have discovered the remains of another Neolithic structure, Heritage Malta said. The discovery substantially...