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Memories of Libya
1956 to 1959
Contributed by Trevor
STUBBERFIELD 52A
Libyan History
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Libya experienced rule under many
different conquerors, but the Romans would probably be the ones who left
the most evidence of their occupation when they departed. The sheer scale of
their cities can be judged from the following pictures.
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Leptis Magna (Lepcis Magna) is two mile east of
the coastal town of Homs,
now known as Al-Khums. Homs
will be remembered by many troops in the fifties and sixties as a training
base for the armoured regiments. 3 Royal Horse Artillery and 4 Royal Tank
Regiment were two units in camp during my time.
Leptis Magna is a world renowned site of Roman
antiquity. It’s hard to imagine, looking at the height of the pillars, but
the whole site was buried under the sands once it had been abandoned. It
was that event that preserved so much of the ruins. It wasn’t until the
early 1920s that the wind uncovered the top of a column and excavations
started. Whilst I was there the archaeologists had just found a whole new
section of the harbour.
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This site map shows the location of
the Severan Basilica pictured above.
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The Frigidarium at Leptis Magna.
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The ruins at Leptis Magna
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The Theatre.
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The Theatre Seating
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Gymnasium and Hadrianic Baths.
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The Market
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The Arcade
of the Severan Forum
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The Turkish Baths
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My Entrance Ticket.
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A selection of photos taken on one
of several visits to Leptis Magna.
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A slightly more modern piece of history is shown by
the calendar picture above which is of the monument to Omar al Mukhtar, the
leader of the resistance against the occupation of Libya by the Italians. His picture
is to the left. He was originally laid to rest there but his body was taken
to his home village at a later date.
The monument is to be found in Benghazi. My only visit to that area was
when I passed through Benina Airport, flying by Eagle Airways on my way to Cyprus.
The return trip was a hitchhike with the RAF in a cargo only Hastings from Nicosia,
which touched down at RAF El Adem, the take off from which airfield I still
have nightmares about. The few seats which were fitted temporarily for the first
part of the flight had been removed and I was requested to sit on the
floor, as far forward as possible. Asking the pilot why, the answer was
quite terse. “Because if you don’t we won’t get off the bl**dy ground.” He
wasn’t far wrong, we were on the ground a long time before lurching into
the air. Something to do with the excess temperature at that time of the
day. To this day I still cross everything when flying.
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The Arch of Marcus Aurelius stood back from the
harbour front in the old sector of Tripoli City.
It was of unusual construction in that the major parts were of marble, not
the normal local stone. It was built around 163 AD. The old city was
accessed by passing through the archway in the castle.
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Tripoli Castle
Museum or The Citadel.
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Looking out from the old quarter of
Tripoli
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Published: 1st February
2008
  Libyan History continued.
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