SABRATHA

The city of Sabratha is one hour drive to the west of Tripoli spectacularly overlooking the shores of the Mediterranean sea. The city was originally built by the Phoenician ( The Canaaites ) in the 6th. century B. C.as a trading post. As was the case with other cities of Tripolis, Sabratha was under the domination of Carthage; the main Phoenician settlement in Tunisia till 146 B. C.
Sabratha was later occupied and destroyed by the Nomidians and then by the Romans in 46 BC . They started to rebuild it during the 1st. century AD. Even though much of the city was destroyed by earthquakes during the 4th. century, the Punic city, the Museum of Bes, and the Great Theatre which was constructed from pink Limestone, The Temples of Isis, Hercules, and Sirapis, Liber Pater, the Mosaics of Jason Magnus, the Capitolium, the public Baths are still outstanding and provide the most prominent features of the city during the Roman times.
Sabratha prospered during the third century A.D. and became famous as a trading place for the Ivory coming from central Africa through Ghadames and Fezzan. The city was abandoned after its destruction by the Vandals who invaded North Africa from Europe. In the year 533 A. D. the Byzantines occupied the city and rebuilt much of it. Sabratha lost its importance with the advent of Islam in the region (642 A.D.) and Tripoli became the most important trade centre in western Libya.
Recent excavations lead to more discoveries of an underground cemetery dates to the 3rd. century BC. A temple was constructed above it and on one of its columns engravings of the Greek's Goddess Hericul and the Egyptian's Goddess Biss were also discovered. Also Phoenician's Pottery dates back to the 3rd. and 4th. Century were discovered in the region.
In Janzur near Sabratha a different type of underground cemetery was discovered. The cemetery was very colourful and rich in designs indicating the fact that humans remains were burnt to ashes after death.