Olbia, Libya

Olbia or Theo Doria was a Roman and Byzantine city in North Africa, in the area of present-day Libya in the region of Cyrenaica. The modern name of the archaeological site is Qasr Libya after the castle ( Qasr ) from the Islamic period or Lebia as a corruption of the old name Olbia.

Location

The archaeological site is located on a hill at Qasr Libya, on the main street of al - Marj Al- Baida after, equal to the turn-off to Marawah to the south.

History

After the destruction by the Vandals and after attacks by Laguatan ( Lwatae ) nomads took place in 539 the foundation of Olbia as Polis Nea Theo Doria by Emperor Justinian I in honor of his wife Theodora, who spent her youth in the nearby Apollonia had.

Olbia was part of the Exarchate of Africa until it was conquered 643/644 during the Islamic conquest of North Africa by the Arabs.

In the town there were two Byzantine churches. The western was integrated into the Qasr, which serves as a museum. The eastern church was excavated in the mid-1950s by Richard Goodchild. In square holes in the floor of the entrance hall fifty small mosaics were embedded with a total area of 10.5 m × 6 m. Were represented spiritual essence of the pre-Roman era, as well as Christian symbolism, the start-up and beautification of the city by Theodora, animals, the four rivers of paradise in Genesis: Geon ( Nile), Physon ( Ganges ), the Tigris and Euphrates, and the known world. In addition to gods and goddesses, there are images of human figures, horsemen, musicians, sailors (including a sea man with trident ), sea monsters, birds, ostriches, crocodiles, bulls, zebras and leopards. Compared to the official imperial art of the time, the manner of presentation seems a little rough, but lively and very colorful. The fifty mosaics were taken to the museum in the Ottoman- Italian fortress opposite the church and exhibited there.