"Do you know the film 'Legends of the Fall'? It is a wonderful film shot here in Libya in the 1950s starring John Wayne and Sophia Loren. It is wonderful because it ends here, in Leptis Magna, and you can see many of the statues still in situ. They have not yet been removed. It is also lovely because of Sophia Loren." smiled Mohammed, our guide, bringing Leptis Magna alive in a way that I had not imagined possible.
Not that Leptis is a bland site; to the contrary it is one of the most extraordinary ancient sites in the Mediterranean. In its heyday it dominated the sea shore for some three kilometres and is estimated to have had a population of 100,000; the nearby modern town of El Khums only musters some 20,000.
The site was mainly excavated by the Italians in the 1920s and 1930s over 15 years. Only a third of the site has been excavated and the question remains (no pun intended) of what treasures lie beneath.
Notwithstanding what is as yet uncovered, there is much to impress at Leptis. The monumental centre, the Arch of Septimius Severus, is an imposing start and introduction to Leptis. It sets the tone and gives you an idea of the scale of the city. The Imperial Forum lies at the heart of Leptis. Despite the ravages of time and looters, it is spectacular and is a vast area, some one hundred metres by sixty metres, strewn with masonry and surrounded by high walls. The amphitheatre had seating for 15,000.
"Ah, one of our talented silent guides," commented Mohammed as we passed a disinterested local guide leading an even more disinterested group of tourists. His wicked sense of humour made me realise two things. Firstly, tourists are few and far between at Leptis, for the time being at least. Secondly, that sadly not everyone felt the same way about the site as I did, that not everyone had the benefit of the witticisms of Mohammed and his insightful knowledge.
Some looked jealously on, as Mohammed produced a diagram of what the Baths of Hadrian would have...
