

Prehistoric paintings cover a rock at Akakus National Park near Ghat, Libya. Frank Lemmens/Lonely Planet Images/Newscom/File
The Sahara Desert covers roughly 90 percent of Libya. A Tuareg man leads his camels. DanitaDelimont.com/Newscom/File
A mosque made of clay bricks stands in the oasis town of Ghadames, Libya, known as 'the pearl of the desert.' The town is populated mainly by Berbers and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is evidence of human settlement going back 10,000 years. Doug McKinlay/Lonely Planet Images/Newscom/File
Muslims attend Eid al-Fitr prayers at Martyr's Square, previously known as Green Square as named by Muammar Qaddafi, in Tripoli, Libya, on Aug. 31. The square was built by Italian colonial rulers. Amru Salahuddien/Xinhua/Newscom/File
A boat sails past the Assaraya Alhamra or 'Red Castle ' of Roman origin in Tripoli, Libya. The fortress contains a museum.
Foreign tourists visit the Roman section at Assaraya Alhamra Museum in the Red Castle in Tripoli, Libya, in 2006. Khaled Descouki/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom/File
The octagonal 19th century minaret of Gurgi Mosque is seen behind the Arch of Marcus Aurelius in Tripoli, Libya. The Arch is the last remnant of the ancient Roman city of Oea and was completed in AD 163-64. It stood at the crossroads of the two great Roman roads of the city – the cardo maximus (running north to south) and decumanus (east to west). Tony Wheeler/Lonely Planet Images/Newscom/File
This late 3rd century Roman theater stands at the Sabratha archaeological site in the port city of Sabratha, Libya. The area was a Phoenician trading post before the Romans took over. Bob Strong/Reuters/File
The ruins of the ancient 650 BC Greek city of Cyrene stand near the eastern Libyan town of Shahat in the Jebel Akhdar area. Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom/File
The ruins of the Roman city Leptis Magna are in Al Khums, Libya. The Trajan (foreground) and Severan arches are two spectacular examples of Roman architecture at the site. Gilles Mermet/AKG-Images/Newscom/File