Its perception largely clouded by its modern history, Libya is a vast country whose position along the north African trade routes gave rise to settlement by, among others, the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans before Islam came in the 7th century AD. The remains of these ancient cities are truly startling and Leptis Magna can easily lay claim to being the most impressive in the world. This country of arid desert landscapes and lush coastal regions receives a fraction of the visitors to its neighbours, so the sites as yet remain uncrowded.
