Archive for November, 2009

November29

Libyans celebrate Eid

Eid in Libya

Libyans celebrated Eid (Eid Al-Adha) en masse this past weekend, and it happened to coincide with another holiday … Thanksgiving !

Unlike Western holidays, most Islamic holidays (Eid included) are calculated based on the Lunar calendar - and thus, Muslim holidays fall on different days every year and rotate throughout the seasons. This can mean that Eid starts and ends slightly ahead or before other parts of the world - so EID may start in Indonesia , but not start in Libya until a day later when the moon is sighted.

Eid Al-Adha -- "The Feast of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" -- is the most important Muslim holiday of the year, celebrated by Muslims worldwide over three days to commemorate the act of willingness and obedience to God that Abraham displayed in his act to sacrifice his son - it shouldn't be confused with Eid-Al-Fitr, which takes place at the end of Ramadan and before Eid-Al-Adha.

Eid-Al-Adha can be compared to Christmas and Thanksgiving rolled into one -- it's a joyous time of family, friends, and relatives, food, and merriment. The cries of "Eid Mubarak", which means Happy Eid, are heard throughout the day.The way a turkey symbolizes Thanksgiving, lamb/mutton is the symbolic meal eaten by Muslims for Eid.

The streets are brightened with colorful lights, delicious pastries and sweets and mint tea are served to guests, children and adults wear new clothes, and presents exchanged. Copious amounts of food are served, and children play while adults tend to barbecues and visiting friends and relatives.

Above all, Eid is a time for reflection, a time for happiness, and family.

Tags: libya eid
Posted in General | No Comments »
Read More
November25

Libya Cafe Culture – The Honey Baryush

Libyans call it baryush, local slang for ‘croissant’. For most Libyans, the day won’t be a complete without a bite of baryush bread that will keep the mouth busy, and the heart happy.

Baryush is a kind of bread but much softer than the normal one. It can be bought from any nearby café or restaurant in Libya. However, for the past thirty-eight years in Tripoli there’s place that has set a legacy of baryush. The taste of the baryush bought from this cafe one can never find it anywhere else.

“I always take my baryush from this joint, because here it is not like any other,” said one customer to The Tripoli Post.

The name of the café is not inscribed anywhere; so don’t even bother to look for it. However, many people are aware of it and refer to it as Hajj Fathi’s place. For people with a sweet tooth, this place would be a frequent stop. It is the most loved baryush cafe in all Tripoli, located along the Mizran/Haiti Street in the heart of Libya’s capital.

It does not matter what time of the day or night you choose to visit this café; you will always find it thronged like no other. Everyone wants a bite of the honey-smeared baryush. Oh yes, it is smeared with pure honey. It is so delicious that the sight of it will make your mouth water.

The good old croissant, popularly known in Libya as bayrush, over baked and less fluffy, could be filled with many things inside but not with the ingredients one normally tastes in this place.

“The place opens in the crack of dawn at exactly 4 a.m., breaks at 2 p.m. for an hour’s break then resumes at 3 p.m. stretching its services until 11 p.m.,” Hajj Fathi’s café manager, Mohammad Al Khumsi, who has been a loyal worker of the café for the last seventeen years.

As old as the hills of the desert, Hajj Fathi’s café dates far way back to the early seventies, when it was established.

Just give it a try at the Mizran joint and you will never regret the day you were born because you will find the experience almost unforgettable. And believe you me; don’t be surprised if you find yourself becoming a regular visitor to the place. “We fill in our baryush with pure honey mixed with some crashed pieces of almond,” Mohammad explained.

In other places, the filling of the baryush is also made up of chocolate or honey, but the honey is not as pure as the one used at Hajj Fathi’s place where the tenderness of the baryush is quite unique.

“In a day we sell between two thousand two hundred and two thousand six hundred baryush. Prior to the filling we warm them in an oven,” the expert at this café told The Tripoli Post.

The baryush is also served with three types of shakes blended with milk and ice that are also available at the café. They serve them with nuts, milk and banana, strawberries, banana and milk, and banana shake. The combination of these quality shakes with the baryush has been called “an energy power-house”. It is what helps make this joint stand out from the crowd.

Hajj Fathi’s cafe currently employs twenty-five people.

(This article was reproduced from The Tripoli Post (www.tripolipost.com), an English-language weekly newspaper popular with expats and the business community in Libya)

Tags: baryush, tripoli cafe
Posted in General | No Comments »
Read More
November18

National Geographic goes to Libya

National Geographic Photographer George Steinmetz takes his lightweight para glider to the Libyan desert and unveils never before seen stunning aerial footage of the Libyan desert.

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of the October issue of National Geographic to see the stunning photos, and check out George’s official site for more stunning aerial photography at www.georgesteinmetz.com.

Posted in Libya Desert | No Comments »
Read More
November10

Libya Slideshow

This is an excellent slide show of Libya’s beauty and tourist attractions set to a vaguely Gladiator sounding tune, made by Tarek El-Wan. It showcases the famed Roman ruins of Leptis Magna and Sabratha, the Greek ruins of Cyrene and Appolonia, and the mystical and timeless Sahara and the the rock formations of the Akakus.

We like it …… it captures some of the essence of the magic of Libya.

Posted in General | No Comments »
Read More
November2

Introducing Libya Expeditions

Libya Expeditions Logo

Welcome to the Libya Expeditions Blog ! We are excited to share Libya travel and tourism news and stories through the Blog as well as explore Libya’s rich tourist and cultural heritage and promote Libya as a vacation spot to a global audience.

We at Libya Expeditions have one thing in common : a deep passion for Libya , its people, and culture; and a desire to spread the word about a beautiful and unforgettable country. The founders have over 12 years experience in organizing tours and expeditions in Libya , and an enthusiastic and motivated staff committed to bringing a memorable Libya holiday experience to all our customers.

Libya has become a popular travel spot and tourist destination in the last few years , and is home to five UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Attracted by spectacularly preserved Greek and Roman Ruins, Berber and Tuareg architecture, and the mystical and surreal landscape of the Sahara, tourists have flocked to one of the world’s best kept secrets.

We feel it’s our duty to promote Libya’s rich cultural and tourist treasures, from its well preserved Greek and Roman ruins which stand as a testament to the bygone empires that built them, to the surreal and alien landscape of the Libyan desert, where freakish rock formations seem to burst out of the desert sands and take bizarre and eerie forms.

Libya has something for everyone – sun, sea, sand, culture, and adventure.

Take a look at the Libya photo gallery, here.

Tags: libya culture, libya expeditions, libya holiday, libya travel
Posted in General | No Comments »
Read More