TRIPOLI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Department of Antiquities announced on Thursday night a series of major archaeological discoveries in the ancient city of Apollonia in eastern Libya, including a newly identified ancient theater overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the rediscovery of a Greek racecourse and several sacred complexes.
In a statement, the Tourism and Antiquities Office of Sousse Municipality in Libya's Green Mountain region, affiliated with the Department of Antiquities, said the discoveries were made under the supervision of the French Archaeological Mission in Libya.
Vincent Michel, director of the French mission, described the racecourse as "an exceptional scientific discovery," saying it was unique in the Cyrenaica region and had no known equivalent elsewhere in the Mediterranean, according to the statement.
Apollonia, near the present-day city of Sousse in eastern Libya, was developed as the port of the ancient Greek colony of Cyrene (modern-day Shahat), which was founded by settlers from Thera (modern-day Santorini) in the 7th century BC.
It later became an important Mediterranean trading hub and flourished during the Greek and Roman periods, with temples, public buildings, a theater, a harbor and sporting facilities. ■