Place · sea

Gulf of Sirte

Also known as Gulf of Sidra, Syrtis Major

The Gulf of Sirte is a large gulf of the Mediterranean on the coast of Libya, between Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, known in antiquity as the Greater Syrtis. Its shallow waters and shifting sands were feared by ancient sailors, and its desert shore long divided the Punic and Greek worlds of North Africa. Nomadic peoples such as the Austuriani lived in its hinterland.

Gulf of Sirte
Image: Jesse Allen · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

NasamonesTripolitaniaAusturiani

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gulf of Sirte. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gulf-of-sirte
MLA
“Gulf of Sirte.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gulf-of-sirte. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Gulf of Sirte.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gulf-of-sirte.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gulf of Sirte’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gulf-of-sirte (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻