Al Athrun

The small town of Al Athrun is located in the northern Libyacabout 40 kilometres east of Cyrene, 9 km east from Ras al Hillal and 29 km west of Derna. One of the main archaeological attractions of the town are two Byzantine basilicas, beautifully located by the sea and adorned with white marble from Proconnesus. The Byzantine churches is better preserved than those at Ras al Hilal. The western church stands on a bluff above the Mediterranean and must have been spectacular place to worship. The walls of the church are still intact, and the sanctuary is strewn with marble pillars, some of which are marked with a carved crosses, snakes and other motifs. The less dramatic Eastern Church lies over the hill 150m to the east. To reach it, you skirt a steep, rocky cove with cave tombs gougned into the rock. Al Athrun is around 350m north of the main road, while the modern village is on the south side of the road.