Lighthouse of Leptis Magna

The remains of an ancient lighthouse at the harbour of Leptis Magna, a major Phoenician and Roman city at the mouth of the Wadi Lebda in present-day Al-Khums, Libya. Founded by Phoenicians as early as the 7th century BC as a key Mediterranean trade port, the city flourished under Roman Emperor Septimius Severus (born there in 145 AD), who expanded the harbour and constructed the multi-story lighthouse reaching approximately 35 metres in height. The lighthouse stood on the eastern pier, serving as a navigation beacon for grain exports to Rome, with an internal staircase still visible in its base. Leptis Magna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the Mediterranean.