Tripolis

Ships berth at the Port of Tripoli, approximately 0.5 miles from the town centre.

With 1.69 million people, Tripoli sits in the country's northwest at the desert's edge. It occupies a rocky point projecting into the Mediterranean Sea and forming a bay, and was founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC.

The town centre is most easily explored on foot. From Green Square, follow the old corniche road to the cathedral built by the Italians in 1928 and the People's Palace, once the royal palace. Magaref Street contains some of the city's finest colonial architecture. Special note: restroom facilities ashore are limited and very basic.

Although the old town remains unspoiled by mass-tourism, it has become increasingly exposed to visitors from abroad since the UN embargo was lifted in 2003. Even so, the walled medina preserves much of its serene old-world ambience.

Within the medina, explore the souks, old hotels called khans, small squares, traditional houses and a line of mosques; the largest, and unquestionably the most beautiful, is the "Ahmed Pasha Karamanli" mosque.

Tripoli's beautiful mosques are its principal tourist attraction.

On the medina's outskirts, the Assaraya al-Hamra (the Red Castle) is a huge palace complex of numerous courtyards that dominates the skyline. Classical Ottoman-period statues and fountains are scattered around the castle.

The Roman-period medina street plan was established when walls were built to protect against attacks from Tripolitania's interior. It is considered well planned, perhaps even better than modern street plans.

A wall was added on the city’s sea-facing side in the 8th century. The old town had three access gates: Bab Zanata to the west, Bab Hawara to the southeast, and Bab Al-Bahr in the north wall. The city walls remain standing and can be climbed for good city views.

Libya's national museum, the Jamahiriya Museum, is a fine modern facility in the Red Castle. Its collections include many artifacts from the country's Roman and Greek periods, treasures from the World Heritage sites at Leptis Magna and Sabratha, and curiosities such as the Volkswagen Beetle driven by Gadaffi in the 1960s.

All nationalities need passports and visas to enter Libya, except nationals of Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia. Entry is refused to those whose passports show travel to Israel.

The ancient coastal city of Sabratha began as a Carthaginian trading post, became a permanent settlement in the 4th century B.C., and flourished during the Roman period. Its ruins contain temples, public baths, fountains and a museum notable for its mosaic collection.

Taxis may be available, although only guests holding an individual Libyan visa may hire them.

East along the coast from the capital is Leptis Magna, one of North Africa's or Europe's best-preserved ancient Roman cities. Its extraordinary scale and condition result from the protective desert-sand layers that covered it until its discovery early last century.

To the west along the coast, near the Tunisian border, stands another Roman city: Sabratha.

Apart from jewelry, most shop goods hold limited interest for tourists. The souq sells every kind of clothing and household utensil, making it better for atmosphere than for purchases.

Small city restaurants serve typical Libyan cuisine: generally soup, salad, chicken, lamb or beef with rice or couscous and vegetables. Reminder: Libya is an alcohol-free country.

Meals in Libya are not accompanied by beverages. Once the final part of a meal is served, a vessel of water or milk is passed around the table. Do not breathe into the vessel: neither breathing in nor out is permitted until the bowl no longer touches the lips. Coffee follows after drinking.

Some bottled water in Libya is not sanitary, so ask which brands are safest. Foreign brands can be bought if necessary.

Libya's local currency is the dinar.

The language is Arabic.

Libyan public holidays exclude Islamic religious holidays, whose dates can vary in each calendar year and depend on sightings of the moon's various phases.

British Evacuation Day falls on 28th March, Evacuation Day on 11th June, Revolution Day on 23rd July, National Day on 1st September and Italian Evacuation Day on 7th September.