From Tripoli to the ancient ruins of Leptis Magna, from the slave markets to the farthest reaches of the Sahara: here is a mosaic of unknown places, handed down to us by the foreign visitors and travellers who experienced them first hand over four centuries (1550-1911). European consuls (and their sisters and wives), archaeologists, explorers, sailors and colonisers have all left colourful accounts of their Libyan experiences: the bustle of the suqs and gossip of the harem, the terrors of slavery, the endless, parched caravan marches across the desert and the characters they met along the way. Almost fifty contributors bring a fresh perspective to a country that has fascinated foreigners for millenia.