This Is The Zliten Page Of Libya Travels

Mosaics outside the mosque in Zliten

After we left the Leptis Magna Site we acquired a lift for thirty dinars to the  next stop on our itinerary, Zliten about thirty kilometers away. Zliten, a 140 km east of Tripoli, the  Libyan capital, is between Khums and Misrata. Our driver, whom we had just met in the car park outside the ruins, was a young agreeable man with a short fashionable haircut.  He had a modern new car and chatted amiably about the price of women in different parts of the Arab world.  I noticed his military pack and shoe polish in the boot of his car and perceived him to be xxxxxxxxxxxx.  He drove confidently and safely and made sure we checked into the hotel nicely when we arrived in Zliten in the evening.

The Hotel Zliten was an extremely pleasant revelation.  Normal, clean, modern, nicely designed, not malodorous, doors locking, lift working, reception staff receiving, managers managing.  It was unbelievable.  it was so different from the weird  Omar Khayam Hotel  in Benghazi or the distressingly depressing Hotel Casa Libya in Tripoli.  We checked in with little fuss, had a chat with the manager, receptionist and chef and then and went for a walk downtown.  The hotel card had some interesting notes and advice for coests (guests).

"Note to our coests:- 2 - The paid of money under the count help us in a good service, for that we hope to covered the period of stay."  Well that seems clear enough doesn't it?  Or does it?

Although at night time Zliten is  tedious beyond description, it did not seem to resonate with the brooding despair of Khums despite having the poverty stricken immigrants hanging around roundabouts waiting to be employed and young men selling bootlegged imitation cigarettes or bananas from Ecuador.  The Malians, Chadians, Touareg and Sudanese seem to specialize in shoe repairs.  We returned to the hotel for a rather disappointing meal in an empty dull lifeless restaurant.  We were the only people in there.  The Shorba was thin and tepid lacking the essential spiciness of the classic soup.  It was not as good as the Chorba in the hotel in  Khums.  The quail were OK but I'm pretty sure halal blood letting style slaughter does nothing to add to the taste of such small game birds which is one kind of game that needs to be served fresh rather than hung.   The following morning we tried to visit the local museum but it was closed so we moved on to the large ornate Zliten Mosque.

Three Shabani In Traditional Libyan Clothing

Extensive use of green black and cream tiles and mosaics in fantastic geometric patterns are impressive and its pillars are decorated with carved stucco.  The following day the museum in Zliten was still closed  so we checked out of the hotel moved on to Misrata but first called at the remains of the Villa Dar Buc Ammera.  There is not much left of this villa: just low walls, foundations some mosaics and rubble but it is beautifully located on the coast.  At another time such remains might be historically impressive but after the splendour of Lepta this seems small beer.  Some of the best mosaics have been removed to the Museum in Tripoli. There were beautiful tiny flowers growing among the ruins.  I tried to preserve and press some of them but did not really succeed.  We left this old villa and with yet another driver we continued on our way to Misrata.