Greek settlers sailed from an island called Thera (now called Santorini) and founded Cyrene in 631 BCE. They chose a spot near a freshwater spring, which was precious in a dry land. The city grew into one of the most important Greek cities outside Greece itself, famous for learning, medicine, and philosophy.
Cyrene has an enormous Temple of Zeus — one of the largest Greek temples ever built. Some of its huge columns have been re-erected and stand tall again today. Walking among them, you can get a sense of how grand the city once was, even if most of the buildings are now just foundations and scattered stones.
The city also had a famous school of philosophy. Aristippus, one of the first philosophers to write about happiness and pleasure, was born in Cyrene. For a small city in North Africa, it produced a remarkable number of great thinkers.
Around the ruins you can still see ancient tombs carved into the rocky hillsides, elaborate Greek sculptures, and a stadium where athletes once competed in races and games, just like the Olympics.