Libya contains the ancient Roman city of Leptis Magna.
Leptis Magna lies on Libya’s Mediterranean coast near the modern city of Al Khums. Originally founded as a Phoenician settlement, it became one of the most important cities of Roman North Africa, especially during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus, who was born there.
The city expanded dramatically under Roman rule. Its remains include a forum, basilica, theatre, market, harbour, baths, and monumental arches. The surviving architecture shows how Roman urban planning was adapted to a prosperous coastal city in North Africa.
Leptis Magna is sometimes confused with Carthage, another famous ancient North African city, but Carthage is in modern Tunisia. Leptis Magna is in Libya and is recognized as one of the country’s most important archaeological sites. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1982.