The Arch of Septimius Severus stands at the main crossroads of Leptis Magna, where the city's two principal streets intersected. It is a four-faced triumphal arch (tetrapylon) built in 203 CE to honour the emperor who was born in this city, and its carved relief panels — now partially in the Tripoli museum — depicted scenes of Roman military victory and imperial ceremony in extraordinary detail.
The arch is one of the most photogenic structures at Leptis Magna: four massive stone piers supporting arched openings on all four sides, still standing to near-original height, framing views across the ancient city. The carved panels that remain in situ show the quality of craftsmanship that Severus brought to his home city — the best Roman sculptors of the period worked here. The Severan Forum and Basilica nearby were built at the same time and form a coherent urban complex.