Libya

The State of Libya is in the Maghreb region of North Africa next to Sudan, Chad, Niger, Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia. People speak Arabic, a Berber tongue called Amazigh, and some Italian, among other languages. Most Libyans are Muslim, but there is a small population of Coptic Christians, and a Jewish community dating back over 2,000 years lived in Libya until the middle of the 20th century. Libya’s a large country, and it includes mainly desert along with granite mountains and Mediterranean areas with a moderate climate. There is a lot of wildlife, and some rarer animal species include Barbary sheep, the Arabian Eagle, the gazelle, and the world’s highest flying bee, known as the jabal alakhdar. The Libyan economy depends mainly on oil, which reduced the previous emphasis on agriculture dramatically.

Leptis Magna is an excellent Roman archaeological site including the Severan arch, which commemorated the Emperor Septimus Severus’ visit in the year 203. The Jamahirya Museum is an excellent art collection in Tripoli. The desert in Libya has astounding, colorful sights, including ancient rock paintings and carvings along with volcanoes. The Arkenu structures, also referred to as craters, are thought to possibly have been formed as result of two separate and simultaneous meteor strikes.

Pasta, called makroona here, and homemade tajeen bread are typical starches of choice. Popular produce includes figs, dates, oranges, apricots, olives, carrots, and cucumbers. Pork is forbidden, but lamb, mutton, and seafood are commonly eaten. Shorba Arabiya is a zesty, thick soup made of tomatoes, meat, chili peppers, cayenne pepper, saffron, chickpeas, mint, cilantro, and parsley. Try bsisa, with ground chickpeas, fenugreek, and coriander seeds mixed with olive oil, accompanied by palm dates and tea. Couscous with vegetables, possibly pickled, is a light option. Have a delicate pastry like an almond ghrayba. As the Libyans say, one must eat well.