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"We're the First Chinese Tourists Since 2011!" 🇱🇾

Exploring Libya’s Endangered World Heritage: Cyrene After 14 years of political turmoil, we’ve become the first Chinese visitors to Libya since Gaddafi’s fall in 2011. 😂 Yesterday, we were held at Benghazi Airport for 10 hours (thanks to the anti-government military control), but today—smooth sailing! 📍 Cyrene, located 300 km east of Benghazi, is one of Libya’s most magnificent yet endangered archaeological treasures. 🏛️ A Greek Colony Lost in Time Founded in 631 BC by settlers from Thera (Greece), escaping drought under the guidance of the Oracle of Delphi. Named after Cyrene, a mythical nymph, symbolizing the land’s fertility. Famous for Silphium (an extinct medicinal herb), philosophy (home of Aristippus, founder of hedonism), and grand temples. ⚡ Rise & Fall of a Mediterranean Powerhouse Greek Era (7th–4th c. BC): A cultural & agricultural hub, exporting Silphium (even minted on coins!). Ptolemaic Rule (323 BC): Controlled by Ptolemy I, tied to Alexandria, Egypt. Roman Era (96 BC–4th c. AD): Expanded with theaters, baths, and triumphal arches—but hit by earthquakes, revolts, and Christian iconoclasm. 🏛️ The Mighty Temple of Zeus Larger than the Parthenon! (70m x 32m) 34 towering Doric columns, built in 5th c. BC—North Africa’s largest Greek temple. Burnt in 2nd c. BC, rebuilt by Romans, vandalized by Christians in 4th c. AD. ⚠️ Why Is Cyrene Endangered? War & neglect since 2011—minimal restoration. Looting, erosion, and political instability threaten its survival. 🚧 Travel Reality Check ✔ Rare & risky—only for hardcore explorers. ✔ Military checkpoints everywhere. ✔ Photography restrictions—authorities watch closely. #Libya #OffTheBeatenPath #Cyrene #WorldHeritage #Benghazi #FirstExplorers 🌍✨

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Martina Sara 
Martina Sara 
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"We're the First Chinese Tourists Since 2011!" 🇱🇾

Exploring Libya’s Endangered World Heritage: Cyrene After 14 years of political turmoil, we’ve become the first Chinese visitors to Libya since Gaddafi’s fall in 2011. 😂 Yesterday, we were held at Benghazi Airport for 10 hours (thanks to the anti-government military control), but today—smooth sailing! 📍 Cyrene, located 300 km east of Benghazi, is one of Libya’s most magnificent yet endangered archaeological treasures. 🏛️ A Greek Colony Lost in Time Founded in 631 BC by settlers from Thera (Greece), escaping drought under the guidance of the Oracle of Delphi. Named after Cyrene, a mythical nymph, symbolizing the land’s fertility. Famous for Silphium (an extinct medicinal herb), philosophy (home of Aristippus, founder of hedonism), and grand temples. ⚡ Rise & Fall of a Mediterranean Powerhouse Greek Era (7th–4th c. BC): A cultural & agricultural hub, exporting Silphium (even minted on coins!). Ptolemaic Rule (323 BC): Controlled by Ptolemy I, tied to Alexandria, Egypt. Roman Era (96 BC–4th c. AD): Expanded with theaters, baths, and triumphal arches—but hit by earthquakes, revolts, and Christian iconoclasm. 🏛️ The Mighty Temple of Zeus Larger than the Parthenon! (70m x 32m) 34 towering Doric columns, built in 5th c. BC—North Africa’s largest Greek temple. Burnt in 2nd c. BC, rebuilt by Romans, vandalized by Christians in 4th c. AD. ⚠️ Why Is Cyrene Endangered? War & neglect since 2011—minimal restoration. Looting, erosion, and political instability threaten its survival. 🚧 Travel Reality Check ✔ Rare & risky—only for hardcore explorers. ✔ Military checkpoints everywhere. ✔ Photography restrictions—authorities watch closely. #Libya #OffTheBeatenPath #Cyrene #WorldHeritage #Benghazi #FirstExplorers 🌍✨

Benghazi
Cyrene Museum
Cyrene MuseumCyrene Museum