| |
Tocra (Half day)
Founded around 510 BC, Tocra was one of the first ports settled from
Cyrene. Tocra was
built using soft sandstone, which has proved unable to withstand the
earthquakes that the centuries have wrought upon the Cyrenaican.
After passing through the gate into Tocra, you walk between columns in
varying states of disrepair. Over the wall to your right are the
excavated remains of Roman tombs cut into the rock wall of a sunken pit.
The fort itself, no morethan 100m from the gate, is compact and
attractive: the current structure dates
from the Turkish and Italian eras.
Outside the gate and to the west, a small archaeological railway runs
west to the Eastern Basilica, in which the skeleton of the main
sanctuary, apse and baptistry
are visible as are some ancient Greek inscriptions. The Greek gymnasium,
the
remains of the city wall and necropolis are visible nearby.
|
|
