Tourism in Libya
Tourism in Libya is an industry heavily hit by the
Libya is not issuing tourist visas now.[when?][3] Libyan borders with Chad, Niger, Sudan and Algeria are closed.[4] In reality these borders are not controlled by the Government but by Tuareg people and Toubou people.[5]
As of 2017, governments of the United States,[6] New Zealand,[7] Australia,[8] Canada,[9] Ireland,[10] the United Kingdom,[11] Spain,[12] France,[13] Hungary,[14] Latvia,[15] Germany,[16] Austria,[17] Bulgaria,[18] Norway,[19] Croatia,[20] Romania,[21] Slovenia,[22] Czech Republic,[23] Russia,[24] Denmark,[25] Slovakia,[26] Estonia,[27] Italy,[28] Poland,[29] South Korea,[30] the Republic of China[31] Japan[32] and India advise their citizens against all (or in some cases all but essential) travel to Libya.
Main sites
Tourism in Libya
Tourism in Libya is not very developed due to the continuous political changes that have taken place in the country, the military conflicts, the lack of security, the theological reasons linked to traditionalist neo-fundamentalism, the difficulty in obtaining tourist visas, the lack of infrastructures, protection of archaeological areas, lack of competent human resources, insufficient budget and no action plans.
The United Nations international embargo, which has been recently lifted, has been a major deterrent for tourists. It has resulted in delays in tourism development and made it difficult for tourists, who have instead had to travel through an arduous, physically exhausting way into and out of the country through the Tunisia-Libya land border. International tourism into Libya has suffered due to the instability caused by the Libyan Civil War. The Libyan dinar has highly appreciated, which leads to uncompetitive prices for tourist related services such as accommodation and transportation, compared with neighboring countries.
There are various types of tourism in Libya:
- military/war, Libya has been the area of numerous battles including the Second World War, there are many key sites equipped with war relics, monuments and memorials
- artistic (Ghadames Festival, Ghat Festival, Nalut Spring Festival, Zuwarah Awessu Festival)
- maritime-seaside like archaeological diving, ancient harbors, underwater physical attraction
- Islamic tourism has a high potential because there are ancient ruins, mosques and many examples of Islamic architecture. Sirte and Ajdabiya are key sites of Islamic heritage
From the 1970s to the 1980s the tourist influx was discouraged for religious reasons and related to xenophobia. Only in the 1990s did the Libyan government decide to diversify its national sources of income through the enhancement of its ancient historical sites and its cultural heritage, making progress in providing the necessary facilities for welcoming tourists.
On May 6, 2006, was created the Hammamet Declaration, a document whose purpose was to harmonize tourism development in the countries of the western Mediterranean basin, taking into account environmental and social differences. The aim was to create a cultural and ecological tourism that encouraged projects based on the principles of sustainability, respect for the environment and the use of local products. The Libyan General Bord For Tourism and Traditional Industry (GBTII) stated that the authorities were planning a major tourism plan in the private and foreign sector; with the construction of a large number of hotels in major cities to meet the increase in tourists.
In 2011, with the fall of the Gaddafi government and the beginning of the civil war, they led to more restrictions and significant changes for tourists. In 2012 the new government decided to diversify resources and create jobs, the authorities changed the laws and regulations to attract foreign economic investments and make the economy grow. But the two rival governments have not pushed the project forward. On 22 March 2012, the Ministry of Tourism "The General Bord For Tourism And Antiquities" was created.
Archeological sites
Roman sites
The Roman city of
Greek sites
Although Cyrene was later incorporated into the Roman Empire, it was founded in 630 BC as a colony of the Greeks from the Greek island of
Ophelas, the general who occupied the city in
The archeological site lies near the village of Shahhat. One of its more significant features is the temple of Apollo which was originally constructed as early as the 7th century BC. Other ancient structures include a temple to Demeter and a partially unexcavated temple to Zeus. There is a large necropolis approximately 16 km between Cyrene and its ancient port Apollonia. The Cyrene Museum also lies on the site.
Other Interesting Sites
- Germa Old City Called the Libyan Lost City
- Tulmitha or Ptolemos is a Greek City established By Emperor Ptolemy I
- GiarabubAncient Egyptian City in The Libyan Egyptian Border
Tripoli
Tripoli is the de facto capital of Libya and was once known as the "White Bride of the Mediterranean". Throughout history, the city exchanged hands many times, and several historic mosques and other sites in the medina attest to this. The Turkish and Italian colonial periods left a distinctive mark on the city's architecture.
Easily the most dominant feature of Tripoli is the Red Castle, Assaraya al-Hamra, which sits on the northern promontory overlooking what used to be the sea - a motorway and 500 m (1640 ft) of reclaimed land now separate the two. The large structure comprises a labyrinth of courtyards, alleyways and houses built up over the centuries with a total area of around 13,000 square metres (140,000 sq ft). Inside, there is evidence of all the city's (and thus the citadel's) ruling parties: the Turks, Karamanlis, Spaniards, Knights of Malta, Italians and several others who all left their presence in its arts and architecture.
The medina is the heart of Tripoli and provides the best sightseeing and shopping opportunities in the city for tourists. The basic street plan of the medina was laid down in the Roman period when the walls were constructed as protection against attacks from the interior of Tripolitania
Three gates provided access to the old town: Bab Zanata in the west, Bab Hawara in the southeast and Bab Al-Bahr in the north wall; the city walls are still standing today. The bazaar is also known for its traditional ware; jewellery and clothes can be found in the local markets. Unlike neighbouring countries, Libya is known for its lack of hassle in the souqs. The old walled city also contains virtually all of Tripoli's historic mosques, khans (inns), hammams and houses. Other nearby attractions include the city's zoo and many of the nearby beaches.
Since the rise in tourism and influx of foreign businesspeople, there has been an increased demand for hotels in the city. To cater for these increased demands, the Corinthia Bab Africa hotel located in the central business district was constructed in 2003 and is the largest hotel in Libya. Other large hotels include the Bab El Bahr hotel and the Kabir Hotel as well as others.
Sahara desert
The Sahara desert represents more than 92% of Libyan territory, more than any other North African country. This provided an important resource with many tourist attractions and landmarks. Highlights included the superb pre-historic rock art sites of the
Independent tourism only emerged in the late 1990s when various, well-connected Libyan middlemen were able to obtain the necessary invite to apply for a visa in one's home country. Once at the border vehicles had to rent Libyan number plates and buy a locally issued temporary vehicle importation permit, similar to the Egyptian system, except that in Libya the documents were in Arabic and border personnel did not speak European languages so the services of a fixer were needed to clear the border.
Up to 2002 it was possible to travel in Libya without an expensive escort from a local tourist agency, but once on the road (and with black market currency bought ner the border), fuel cost just a few pence a litre; among the cheapest in the world. In the days when this was possible, the remote desert town of Ghat in the far southwest of the Fezzan was the key destination for most travellers, accessed either along the 600-km border track south of Ghadames to Serdeles (Al Awaynat), across the Hamada el Hamra plateau [33] to Idri, or for the intrepid few with a local guide, right through the Ubari Sand Sea to the Ubari–Ghat road along the Wadi Eshati.
By comparison, the Sahara of eastern Libya has fewer places of interest, other than getting there via an adventurous route. From
Most European desert tourists, either driving the own vehicles and entering Libya from Tunisia, or flying in to Tripoli for an escorted tour, had more than enough to fill their time visiting the spectacles of the Fezzan. At this time Libya was briefly a transit county for trans-Africa overlanders who crossed the country from Tunisia to Egypt. Exits into Sudan, Chad and Algeria were rare, although for a few years one could enter or exit Niger via Tumu along the so-called ‘Marlboro Piste’,[34][35] a smugglers' route and the old trans-Sahara caravan route from the Kanem–Bornu Empire.
Libyan cuisine
Libyan cuisine is generally simple, and is very similar to Sahara cuisine with several Ottoman/Turkish and Italian influences. In many undeveloped areas and small towns, restaurants may be nonexistent, and food stores may be the only source to obtain food products. Some common Libyan foods include
There are four main ingredients of traditional Libyan food:
See also
References
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