Libyan Sea
General data
- Water type: Sae
- Progression: Mediterranean Sea -> Atlantic Ocean -> Planet Earth
- Climates: Tropical, Subtropical
- Continents: Africa, Europe
- Countries: Greece
Description
The Libyan Sea is the portion of the Mediterranean Sea north of the African coast of ancient Libya, i.e. Cyrenaica, and Marmarica (the coast of what is now eastern Libya and western Egypt, between Tobruk and Alexandria). This designation was used by ancient Geographers describing the southern Mediterranean, but the term is also used by modern travel Writers and cartographers. The southern coastline of Crete which borders the Libyan Sea includes the Asterousia Mountains and Mesara Plain; this area is the locus of considerable ancient Bronze Age settlement including the sites of Kommos, Hagia Triada and Phaistos. Not counting Crete, other islands in the Libyan Sea are Gavdos, Gavdopoula, Koufonisi and Chrysi. To the east is the Levantine Sea, to the north the Ionian Sea, and to the west the Strait of Sicily. The Libyan Sea is also known as South Cretan Sea.