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Zliten mosaic
The Zliten mosaic is a Roman floor mosaic from about the 2nd century AD, found in the town of Zliten in Libya, on the east coast of Leptis Magna. The mosaic was discovered by the Italian archaeologist Salvatore Aurigemma in 1913 and is now on display at The Archaeological Museum of Tripoli. It depicts gladiatorial contests, animal hunts, and scenes from everyday life.
History
The mosaic was discovered in October 1913, in the ruins of a seaside Roman villa later called Villa Dar Buk Ammera after the area where it was found. When it was first fully unearthed and visible after the excavations conducted by Salvatore Aurigemma, from 22 June to 18 August 1914, it was immediately seen as a masterpiece of mosaic art, but one that was in an emergent need for preservation and restoration. In the 1920s, the mosaic was restored and placed on display at The Archaeological Museum of Tripoli. It moved with the museum to its new location in 1952 and is displayed prominently near the entrance hall.
Zliten
Zliten (Arabic: زليتن Zlītan) is a town in the Murqub District of Libya. It is located on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea west of the Gulf of Sidra. It was the capital of the former Zlitan District.
Location
The name Zliten is given to both the town and the whole area. As a town, Zliten is situated 160 km (99 mi) east of the capital, Tripoli, and about 35 km (22 mi) east of the ancient Roman city of Leptis Magna. It is about 60 km (37 mi) west of the city of Misrata and 40 km (25 mi) east of Khoms. It has spread over an area of about 8 km2 (3.1 sq mi). The ex district of Zliten is widespread and covers an area of 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi). It is surrounded by the Mediterranean from the north, Misrata from the east, Bani Walid from the south and Khoms from the west.
Name
The name is derived from the name of the Isliten tribe, an old branch of the Nafzawa Berbers. Members of this tribe used to live in Libya and Tunisia, but are also known to have lived as far west as Morocco. They are mentioned by Leo Africanus in the 16th century as living in western Libya.
