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CYRENE (Full day with lunch)
Depart from the port and proceed to Cyrene. You will
notice a change in the countryside to green vegetation of pine trees and
cool air.
The Agora was the heart of ancient Cyrene, serving as a public square, a
forum for orators, a market and a magnet for the powerful people of the
day. Many civic and religious buildings were clustered around the agora.
Many still bear the traces of
Roman influence superimposed onto the fine monumental constructions
started by the Greeks. Under Sever us, porticos were added on three
sides in the 3 rd century A.D.
We will then proceed to the temple of Zeus. A steep climb up hill from
the rest is the famed Temple of Zeus, one of the highlights of Cyrene.
Reflecting Cyrene's importance in the ancient Greek world, the Temple of
Zeus was larger than the Parthenon in Athens.
We will then stop for a typical Libyan Lunch. The rich collection of
temples, baths and other public buildings sits on a ledge overlooking
the plain. The sanctuary's ancient gateway is marked off to the east by
the four Doric columns of the reconstructed Monumental Gateway. The
Temple of Apollo was one of the earliest temples at Cyrene, with the
foundations dating from the 6th century BC. The beauty of the site, the
pine trees, the wild flowers in spring, the views to the distant
Mediterranean, will make the visit worthwhile.
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