Tripoli

Rachel Halliburton is surrounded by Gaddafis when she reaches Libya. The French weren’t so lucky

The amphitheatre at Leptis Magna

It might seem strange to compare Colonel Gaddafi with Kate Moss, but – like the model – the political leader demonstrates considerable presence on an advertising billboard. Indeed, Moss could take quite a few tips from the Libyan leader, who in his mid-sixties has extended his career as the most visible face in his country some decades beyond that of the average Western beauty. In one frequently displayed poster (the first of which greeted us at Tripoli airport), green rays seem to emanate from the Colonel’s body, while in the museum at the Roman city Leptis Magna, his white disco suit-clad silhouette towers 40 feet high, arms raised triumphantly.

To a visitor from the feckless capitalist excesses of the West, Gaddafi’s socialist personality cult is just one of many reasons why Libya can feel like another state of mind. With absolutely no booze, low-key shopping, and a cuisine that contains far too much camel it’s easy to see why the committed hedonist might write off the prospect of a trip here as a greyer shade of pale. Yet a visit to Tripoli offers fascinating access to a number of alternative worlds – in some places you feel you’ve stepped back five decades, in others over 20 centuries. On the first night we stumbled through the old medina where men from south of the Sahara (Chad, Niger) sat behind ancient sewing machines, tailoring brightly coloured fabrics, while in the distance the shining tower of the Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel (Tripoli’s only five-star hotel – Sarkozy and Blair are among those who have stayed here) declared Libya’s hopes for a wealthy, if still firmly socialist, future.

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It's that man again: a cardboard Colonel Gaddafi

Saucer-eyed reactions to our initial announcement that we were going to Tripoli confirmed the fact that Libya still exists in most people’s minds as a pariah state, whose relations with the West reached their lowest when Pan Am flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in December 1988. Only last year, the release of eight Bulgarian medical workers who had been imprisoned for ‘deliberately infecting’ children with HIV was a reminder of the volatility of relations between Gaddafi and Europe. Yet, since 2002, the number of tourists visiting there has risen steadily – reaching 125,480 in 2006. Still small numbers, admittedly, but this means that although it’s accessible to tourists, it’s still unspoilt by tourism (not a McDonald’s or a KFC to be seen).

The flip side is that, despite improvements in Libya’s relations with the outside world, conditions for entry remain stringent. First, to soak in the sun of this particular North African country, you must get a visa by booking through a tour operator. Second, you can’t travel around without a guide. There are other unpredictable factors: in the week that we went, Libya suddenly started turning away planeloads of dismayed French tourists because it had decided it would not accept passports whose details weren’t translated into Arabic. I received a tip-off about this and luckily our company Explore leapt into action, organising a translator so that our group could fly out on Friday.

Historic highlights
I felt sorriest for those French tourists when our group took the 90-minute drive from Tripoli to visit Leptis Magna. This was a highlight for Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in their epic TV motorbike trip ‘Long Way Down’, and it’s easy to see why. Initially settled by the Phoenicians in the seventh century BC it went on to be the largest Roman city in Africa. Despite earthquakes and a flood, the golden-stoned city rising up next to the Mediterranean is so beautifully preserved – stretching out into the distance all around you – that there are points when you half expect to bump into an ancient Roman as you turn the corner.

Sabratha – just up the coast from Leptis Magna

The genius of our very well-informed Explore tour guide, Aref, was to make us visit Leptis Magna twice – staying in nearby Al-Khums overnight. On the first day we were bombarded with a dizzying array of facts as we dallied in Hadrian’s Baths, were dwarfed by Septimius Severus’ arch, wandered around the basilica and imagined the chariot races that would have taken place in the circus. Visits to Tripoli’s Jamahiriya Museum (which has one of the best-preserved collections of classical art in the Mediterranean), and the ancient site Sabratha up the coast had only begun to prepare us for this spectacle. Left alone in Leptis for five hours on the second day, we realised how privileged we were. At certain points my husband and I were the only humans visible for miles, listening to the whisper of waves in the distance, and the cries of gargantuan flocks of starlings who soared and swooped in endlessly changing formations against the stark blue of the November sky.

Bed and board
Tripoli’s Hotel Yosser – where we were staying – might have been seen as the height of luxury by Brits in the ’50s; it’s now mainly commended for its cleanliness. The Corinthia Bab Africa hotel is the best place to stay in town and, though it’s expensive to stay there, it’s a good place to dine: the Chinese meal we ate there was £22 for two.

Going out
Tripoli really comes into its own after dark, when the mosques and Roman ruins are lit up, the medina behind the central Green Square is bustling (the Ben Zeglam Carpet Bazaar has several great bargains), and men congregate in the hairdressers or tea houses to smoke nargilehs (hookahs). Women are out on the streets too; and although most are wearing brightly coloured headscarves, you’re more likely to see women in the niqab or hijab on the streets of London.

Souk it and see: the medina

Ironically, the two aspects of Libya that most Westerners disapprove of – the alcohol ban and the fact that it’s a police state – mean that it’s one of the safest cities in the world to walk around after dark (take note Jacqui Smith). You’re far more likely to see groups of adolescent boys playing football beneath the streetlights than trying to menace or mug you.

It was on the last night that we had our most extraordinary dining experience, and realised that perhaps there was hope for Libyan food after all. At the Athar restaurant next to the illuminated arch of Marcus Aurelius I had an exquisite fish stew – the best I’ve ever tasted – baked in an amphora that was smashed open in front of us. A good Chablis to wash it down would have been nice. But, alas, that would have resulted in a prison sentence.

Local knowledge
Isam Harrus, Explore’s agent in Tripoli recommends…

Food
The site of Al Hufra, literally translated as ‘the hole in the ground’, has emerged in the last couple of years as the place to be when it comes to eating fish in Tripoli. You can buy your selection of fish from the stands, take it into the restaurant of your choice and pick a dish to be prepared with your choice. You’re guaranteed the best fish meal in Tripoli!

Shopping
Try Suk El-Hoot on Arrashed Street (ten minutes’ walk from the Green Square). Located in one of the busiest shopping areas in the city, this is one of the most atmospheric souks in modern Tripoli. A covered, square building accessed by four side gates, the souk’s centre courtyard earns it the nickname ‘Fish Market’. This courtyard is surrounded by a variety of stalls selling vegetables and fruits, groceries, home-made breads, meats, spices, pickles and there are even pet shops, offering a remarkable range of animals from red English squirrels to African crocodiles! Observing the daily market activity is a fascinating experience, especially the traders competing for attention with colourful displays, and customers haggling to get the best deals.

Enjoy Roman ruins in solitude

Explore
The best place to visit is Dar-Alfunin, which you can reach in just ten minutes if you drive from the Green Square. Known as the ‘Art House’, this is a private art centre right in the middle of Tripoli that’s perfect for checking out the exciting Libyan art scene. Here, most of the nation’s upcoming and recognised painters buy their supply of brushes, paints, and other tools of the trade, as well as sometimes displaying their work. The Art House also includes a shop that offers a collection of greeting cards, posters of paintings by Libyan artists and signed copies of their work.

Get packing
Getting there
Rachel Halliburton travelled to Libya with Explore (0844 499 0901; www.explore.co.uk) on the five-day Leptis Magna Weekend short break. Prices start from £649 per person for tours departing between February and April, including return flights from Gatwick, all transportation, four
nights B&B in hotels and the services of an Explore tour guide.

Stay
Zumit Hotel (www.zumithotel.com/00 218 21 3342915; the website can be dodgy) is recommended. A beautiful traditional style hotel in the medina. Prices start at around £60.

Money
£1 = 2.5 Libyan dinars. Over five days you’ll be very hard pressed to spend more than £200, and that’s even if you buy a carpet.

Climate
Generally hot and dry: October and November are the best times to go, though from March to early May is also pleasant.

More info
‘The Long Way Down’ DVD can be bought at www.longwaydown.com.

Rachel Halliburton