Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Leptis Magna Part 2: Severan Forum and Basilica

The Severan Forum at Leptis Magna is bigger than a football field.  It had a marble floor and was surrounded by impressive porticoes.  The ground is covered with fallen columns and other artifacts.  Aside from the forum's sheer size, these Gorgon heads were the highlight.  Apparently over 70 of them have been found at the site.






This photo shows you a chunk of the forum.  All four walls are largely intact; I'm just showing you parts of two of them.  Like I said, it's big.



At the back of the forum is a basilica that measures about 40 meters by 90 meters.  Archaeologists were hard at work here when I visited, measuring and rearranging the ruins strewn throughout.  This first shot captures about half of the space.  The second gives you a closer look.  




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