{"id":81,"count":1,"description":"Leptis Magna is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 3rd century AD Roman Emperor, Septimus Severus, was born here, and provided the energy and foresight for this great city.   Built of hard local limestone, it was abandoned to the encroaching sand dunes in the 11th century and its excavation was not started until the 20th century. It is one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world.  A showcase of Roman town planning, it is so well preserved that as you wander down the main colonnaded street, with its shop fronts and urban sprawl it is easy to imagine a living city.\r\n\r\nThe superbly preserved Baths of Hadrian are the largest outside Rome itself. The Severan forum is a spectacular sight with its high walls still standing. Intricately carved marble Medusa heads lie on the ground waiting to be restored to their original place. Colossal finely sculpted red granite columns used to support the roof at either end of the adjacent Basilica. These columns are still in place. The Basilica was used in Roman times as a law court. The 5000-seat theatre is one of the oldest stone theatres in the world. Climb to the top of the theatre and you will have an unforgettable view of the city and its dazzling Mediterranean location. One of the most unusual and attractive monuments is the market place with two richly decorated octagonal halls where stalls were set up. This was the most chic market of its time.\r\n\r\nMany of the floors of the public buildings and much of the stonework were originally covered in the finest coloured marbles. It is amazing now. It was a magical place then. Entering through the huge majestic arch of Septimus Severus, one can imagine what the city of 80,000 people was like in its heyday. The museum here is well organised and beautifully laid out, and presents a clear picture of the old city.\r\n","link":"https:\/\/www.guidetolibya.com\/index.php\/tour-destination\/leptis-magna\/","name":"Leptis Magna","slug":"leptis-magna","taxonomy":"tour-destination","parent":0,"meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guidetolibya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/destinations\/81"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guidetolibya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/destinations"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guidetolibya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taxonomies\/tour-destination"}],"wp:post_type":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guidetolibya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tours?destinations=81"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}