Sabratha, Sabratah or Siburata , in the Zawiya District in the northwestern corner of modern Libya

Libya

Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....

, was the westernmost of the "three cities" of Tripolis

Tripolis (region of Africa)

Tripolis was a district in ancient Tripolitania , now in Libya, along the Mediterranean between the Sabrata and Cinyps rivers, and comprising the three cities of Oea, Sabrata, and Leptis Magna.-External links:*...

. From 2001 to 2007 it was the capital of the former Sabratha wa Sorman District. It lies on the Mediterranean

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 coast about 66 km (41 mi) west of Tripoli

Tripoli

Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...

. The extant archaeological site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

 in 1982.
Sabratha's port was established, perhaps about 500 BC, as a Phoenicia

Phoenicia

Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...

n trading-post that served as a coastal outlet for the products of the African hinterland.The Phoenicians gave it the Lybico-Berber

Berber languages

The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert...

 name 'Sbrt'n', which suggests that there may have been a native town built there prior to the Phoenicians' arrival.