Published on : Friday, November 2, 2018
The ruins of the Roman city of Leptis Magna and Sabratha known for its amphitheatre are among the sites.
Near Libya’s border of Algeria the prehistoric rock cutting in the Akakous mountains in the southern Sahara Desert are also among the ruins.
Post the over throw of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 many of the areas have been harmed by insecurity and looting in these areas.
At one point of time tourist walked to Cyrene but at present foreign tourists no longer visit and it is only the Libyan families who visit the sites.
The lands have been taken by the locals and others wrote graffiti on the ancient city’s structured walls.
However, officials are trying to control the damage and owners have built the houses on the ancient sites.
People could reclaim the land taken from them under Gaddafi’s rule as per a 2013 law. However, the ruling worsened the problem and people took the amount of land they felt they deserved.
Libya has two governments and protection of sites like Cyrene has become difficult in part. One government in Tripoli is supported by the United Nations while Eastern Libya has another government.
Leptis Magna is northwestern Libya has mostly avoided damage due to local people who are fans of history. While the site near to the city of Mistara is more secure than other places.
UNESCO appealed for help in protecting site of Sabratha but it did not receive any help.
Tags: Leptis Magna, Libya, Tripoli