A joint mission of Italian and Libyan archaeologists has announced the discovery of a significant Hellenistic sanctuary in the outskirts of Ancient Cyrene. The site, identified as a Temple of Apollo, features a unique "solar-tracking" marble pavement in the courtyard, where specific stone markers align with the sun's shadow to signal ritual feast days.
The excavation team discovered several Parian marble statues in situ, including a near-complete figure of the sun god with traces of original blue and gold pigmentation. The discovery provides new evidence of the advanced astronomical knowledge integrated into North African temple architecture during the 3rd century BCE.