Central Mediterranean Sea

These waters lie north of the eastern side of the Gulf of Sirte, where the coast turns towards Cyrenaica. The great Libyan inlet was known in antiquity as the Greater Syrtis. Its shifting sandbanks and exposure to northerly winds made a strong impression on ancient writers, who advised ships to keep well offshore. On the eastern shore, settlements became more numerous beyond Marsa Brega, where the coast approaches the lands of Cyrenaica.