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PTOLEMAIS (Half day)
Situated between the Mediterranean and the steep slopes of the
Cyrenaican plateau, Ptolemais was the rich port of ancient Barce. You
approach the site via a bumpy main street of the once Italian village of
Tolmeita.
Behind the museum the site spreads south, a vast shared bed with partly
re-erected monuments: a Roman palace, a Byzantine basilica, a fine
gateway and a gymnasium, under which lies a dank network of water
cisterns.
Starting with the museum, you visit the central area first, including
the Palace of the Columns, and then the Gymnasium. The most impressive
construction work here is anderground, for beneath the paving of the
gymnasium are great vaulted chambers, eight running north-south and nine
running east-west.
These are generally held to have been cisterns.
After clambering out of the cisterns, we take a look at the
semi-circular mini-theatre close by. This was the Odeon, the former town
council chambers. After the Odeon, we head towards the Western Basilica,
a 6th century AD construction. It is a solid, austere building with tree
parallel naves. We then make our way back to the entrance of the site
for the return journey to the ship.
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