Archaeological Site of Cyrene

Greek settlers from the island of Thera founded Cyrene in the 7th century BC, and it grew into one of the great cities of the Hellenic world, famous for its sanctuary of Apollo and its medical school. Romanized in due course, the city thrived until an earthquake in 365 AD hastened its decline. Its hillside ruins in eastern Libya, celebrated by travellers since the 18th century, were inscribed by UNESCO in 1982 as World Heritage.