It was founded in 630 BC, about ten miles from the main port of Apollonia. It was one of the five great colonies in the region, and its forum was amongst the largest in Africa. The ancient city is situated dramatically on two levels, the upper city, where the forum was and the lower city, as the city slid down the cliff. It is a large archaeological site with plenty to admire. Beside the forum, there is a large temple of Zeus, a beautiful circular temple of Demeter, and beautiful temple of Apollo. The ruins are still excavated and great discoveries are still being made, including full size statues. This is because the city was partially buried as a result of an earthquake in 375 AD. Cyrene is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
