Arch of Marcus Aurelius (Tripoli)

The Arch of Marcus Aurelius (Arabic: قوس ماركوس أوريليوس, romanized: Qaus Mārkūs Aurīliyūs) is a Roman triumphal arch in the city of Oea, modern Tripoli, Libya,[1] where it is found near the northeastern entrance to the Medina.

It is a quadrifrons triumphal arch, surmounted by an unusual octagonal cupola, and was erected (entirely in marble) by Gaius Calpurnius Celsus, quinquennial duumvir of the city, to commemorate the victories of Lucius Verus, junior colleague and adoptive brother of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius,[2] over the Parthians in the Roman–Parthian War of 161–66.

The patron deities of the city, Apollo and Minerva appear on the two front pediments, in bigae drawn by griffons and sphinxes.

The four niches placed on the northeast and southwest faces of the arch are now empty, but they must have contained the statues of the Emperor and Lucius Verus, which were recovered during excavations in the nineteenth century.

Its original features and details have suffered considerable damage due to acid rain.