Susa (Apollonia)

The town of Susa is situated on the coast, about 20km from Shahat. The nearby ruins of Cyrene's harbour, Apollonia, make this an interesting site for the visitor.

Founded at the same time as Cyrene, the port was named after the city's chief god, and grew in importance during the second and third centuries AD. Today, much of the town and harbour has suffered from landslides and is now largely submerged.

The city walls are still visible, but are in a poor state of preservation, with much fallen stone. Within the walls, one can view the Theatre, Baths, Main Street, and the remains of the Byzantine Palace. Various churches are dotted about the site; notably the Extra-Mural Church, the Eastern Church dating from the 5th century AD and containing some beautiful green marble columns, the Central Church and the Western Church, which is built up against the ramparts of the city walls.

A small museum is situated in the centre of the old town, containing some Byzantine mosaics and sculpture. Because excavation of this site has been minimal, the collection is not very comprehensive.