Visitors go to see ancient temples and tombs, and travel sites often recommend the hot air balloon trips.

CNN: Official: Egypt balloon explosion probe can take 2 weeks

In addition, the city is peppered with old city walls, temples, pagodas and tombs from Han Dynasty rulers, including the Hanyangling Tomb, which houses Emperor Jingdi and his wife Empress Wang.

BBC: Living in: Great cities for history and ancient ruins

But at the cliff-top ruins of Cyrene, the only foreigners scrambling over the temples, baths, theatres and tombs are a team of Italian archaeologists.

ECONOMIST: Libya��s fair-skinned nonconformists