Central Mediterranean Sea

South of these open Mediterranean waters, the Libyan coast bends deeply into the Gulf of Sirte. Ancient geographers called it the Greater Syrtis, in contrast to the Lesser Syrtis farther west. The gulf stretches between the promontories of Boreum and Cephalae, and its southern shore lies far from the line joining them. Sandbanks and northerly winds gave the great bay an enduring reputation as a perilous coast for sailors.