Français – عربي – ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ – English
During the 6th Century, Olbia, a Cyrenaican city that had been destroyed by the Vandals, was rebuilt by the Byzantines as a new city. The modern name of Olbia is Qasr Libya, after the castle that was built there at the beginning of the Islamic era. Of the old Byzantine city, only two churches are left, and one of them contains some of the most beautiful mosaics in the world.
The ancient city of Olbia was founded in Antiquity, by Greeks from Cyrenaica. It was located between Barca (Marj) and Balagrae (Bayda). Its Greek name, Ὄλβια, means “happy” or “prosperous”. The city still existed during the Roman era: is was mentioned by Synesius of Cyrene.
Olbia was destroyed by the Vandals during their invasion of North Africa. What was left later faced incursions by the Laguatans, an Amazigh tribe from Cyrenaica. In 539, after the Byzantine reconquest of North Africa, Empress Theodora ordered that Olbia be rebuilt. The new city was named Theodorias, in honor of its founder.
Nowadays, this site is known as Qasr Libya (قصر ليبيا), after the castle (qasr) that was built there at the beginning of the Islamic era. Libya is a corruption of the old name Olbia, and also corresponds to the name of the country.
The only remnants of the Byzantine city that remain intact are two churches, one of which is integrated to the qasr. The other one was excavated in the 1950. Only the ground floor is left; but it contained around 50 mosaics considered among the most beautiful in the world. Those mosaics are now exposed in a museum. They represent the city’s re-foundation, together with natural landscapes and mythological scenes, all with rich Christian symbology. Two mosaics also mention the names of two successive bishops of Theodorias, Makarios and Theodoros.
