A handful of weeks on from the tangled and savage incidents in Libya, its reputation is seemingly irreparably bruised. The country has been tarnished with labels of danger, an undisputed no –go zone for potential tourists, thanks in large part to former leader Muammar Gaddafi. 
The new interim government however, is hoping to salvage Libya’s tourism industry; as the country is home to the remains of the Roman imperial city of ‘Leptis Magna’. The ancient site is a magnificent historical ground with its unspoiled amphitheatre, grand arch and majestic baths.
The breath-taking architectural site boasts a potential tourist hot spot, as experts hypothesise hundreds of thousands of sightseers will flock to the site to absorb the well preserved beauty and mysterious antiquity of the ruins.
A plaque located at the mouth of the city reads: ‘’Leptis Magna has been designated as a world heritage site and joins a select list of protected areas around the world, whose outstanding natural and cultural resources form the common inheritance of all mankind’’.
Currently only a condensed group of humanitarian workers are based at Leptis Magna, left alone in the muted heat to digest the historical splendour that surrounds them. As the travel restrictions into Libya are eased and inbound flights resumed, the Government hopes the rest of the world will revive Libya’s tourism and economic future.
The potential congregation of tourists are expected to diversify the oil dependent economy, as the heart of Libya provides a place of pilgrimage and peace, cleaning the country’s tainted reputation.
Lined with the glistening stretch of the Mediterranean coastline, the now unveiled Roman City perhaps is Libya’s trump card in being welcomed back into the world as a weighted cultural jewel, not to be alienated or feared by previous unfortunate occurrences.
Article by Emma Boyle
