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). The region of the Libyan Sea located south of Crete is also known as the South Cretan Sea (Νότιο Κρητικό Πέλαγος).

Name

The term Libyan Sea (Mare Libycum) was used by ancient geographers to describe the part of the Mediterranean Sea south of Crete, between Cyrene and Alexandria. It referred to the region of "Libya" in antiquity, which encompassed much of North Africa west of the Nile River. The name "Libya" (Greek: Λιβύη, Libyē) originally referred to a broader area than the modern country of Libya. In ancient times, "Libya" described the lands and peoples of North Africa, such as the Libu and Meshwesh tribes, as recorded by Greek and Roman sources. The modern usage of "Libyan Sea" continues this tradition and is commonly found in maps and travel literature.

Surface area

About 350,000 km2.

Location

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.

Borders

In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about the maritime boundaries in the region.