Wender·Vista
Leptis Magna
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileLibya
on the Libyan coast east of Tripoli, near Khoms

Leptis Magna

— — a Roman city the sand kept for us.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A port city Septimius Severus rebuilt in marble when he became emperor and came home rich. The forum, the basilica, the Severan arch, the theatre looking out at the Mediterranean. After the empire fell the sand came in and held everything in place for a thousand years. Now the ruins sit between the sea and a quiet stretch of the Libyan coast, mostly empty of visitors. — from the studio

from the studio
Leptis Magna
— bring it home

Leptis Magna, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Leptis Magna

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Leptis Magna sits on the Mediterranean coast of Libya about 130 kilometres east of Tripoli, near the modern city of Khoms. Founded by Phoenicians around the 7th century BC and absorbed into the Roman Empire, it became one of the great cities of Roman Africa under Septimius Severus, who was born there in AD 145 and rebuilt his hometown in marble after becoming emperor in 193. UNESCO inscribed the ruins in 1982. The site covers about 425 hectares of forum, basilica, theatre, baths, harbour, and the four-way Severan Arch at the city's heart.

— the stone

Most of what stands now is the work of Severus and his architects in the early 3rd century, who shipped marble from Greece and Asia Minor and rebuilt the old Punic core in imperial scale. The Severan Basilica, finished by his son Caracalla, runs about 160 metres long with two storeys of carved pilasters showing the labours of Hercules and the life of Dionysus. The Arch of Septimius Severus, a tetrapylon at the crossing of two main streets, still carries its broken pediment. The theatre, built earlier in AD 1-2 under Augustus, faces the sea.

— the visit

The site is reached from Tripoli by road, about a two-hour drive east along the coast through Khoms. Libya has been difficult to enter for visitors since 2011, with security conditions varying by year and most foreign governments advising against travel; a small number of organised tour operators have resumed work since 2023. The ruins were placed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage in Danger in 2016 and remain there. When access is possible the site is usually nearly empty, with goats grazing among the column bases.

— where
Libya · Khoms, Murqub District
— position
32.6386° N · 14.2906° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
3 km W
Khoms
city
130 km W
Tripoli
capital
20 km E
Villa Sileen
Roman villa
200 km W
Sabratha
Roman ruins
N
Leptis Magna
Khoms
Tripoli
Villa Sileen
Sabratha
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Leptis Magna — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

On the Mediterranean coast of Libya, near the modern city of Khoms in Murqub District, about 130 kilometres east of Tripoli. The ruins sit between the coastal road and the sea.

Being one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Mediterranean. Septimius Severus, born there in AD 145, rebuilt his hometown in marble after becoming emperor in 193, leaving forum, basilica, theatre, and the Severan Arch.

Phoenicians settled the site around the 7th century BC as a trading post on the African coast. It later passed to Carthage, then to Rome, reaching its peak under the Severan dynasty in the early 3rd century AD.

Inscribed in 1982 for its preservation of Roman urban planning and Severan architecture. UNESCO added it to the list of World Heritage in Danger in 2016 due to instability following the 2011 Libyan civil war.

About 425 hectares of forum, basilica, theatre, harbour, baths, and arches. The Severan Basilica runs 160 metres long. The Arch of Septimius Severus stands at the crossing of the two main streets.

With difficulty. Most foreign governments advise against travel to Libya, and access depends on security conditions. A small number of organised tour operators have resumed work since 2023.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers from the region or the diaspora. Leptis Magna is one of the great points of pride in Libyan heritage. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note travels well.

Yes. The piece honours one of the most complete Roman cities outside Italy without reducing it to a textbook plate. A Medium framed in dark wood works above a desk or a reading chair.

Warm Mediterranean interiors with terracotta and linen, traditional study rooms with leather and oak, and jewel-tone maximalist rooms. The ochres and warm umbers settle into rooms that already lean warm.

Above a standard three-seat sofa, a single Large or a 4-tile Mural carries the wall. Above a console, a Medium sits at eye level. For a feature wall, the 9-tile Mural.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and shrug off humidity. The Glossy finish is meant for framed wall pieces in living rooms and studies.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water. No solvents, no abrasive pads. The colour lives inside the ceramic surface beneath a thin glossy finish, so it does not lift or fade.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made in our family studio in Knoxville, Tennessee, with no outside licensing. Reid Wender curates the atlas and chooses each place that enters it.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.