This weekend in Naples, at an international conference focusing on endangered Libyan heritage sites, GHF will be represented by Dr. Serenella Ensoli, director of GHF’s Cyrene project, and John Hurd, Director of International Conservation.

The conference will take place over two days, with the first devoted to archaeological missions in Libya and the second to the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage, which is currently threatened by conflict in the region. Dr. Ensoli, a professor at the Second University of Naples, will speak about Cyrene, where she has been working for 25 years, and moderate a discussion about possible interventions and future prospects for Libya’s heritage sites.

The Old Town of Ghadamès, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “pearl of the desert,” was reportedly shelled by Gaddafi troops earlier this month. Photo: Mike Gadd

Earlier this month, the Old Town of Ghadamès, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “pearl of the desert,” was reportedly shelled by government forces. Many additional sources have reported that Muammar Gaddafi’s troops are storing arms at other heritage sites like Leptis Magna, effectively using these sites as “archaeological shields” under the assumption that they will not be attacked. NATO, however, has refused to rule out the possibility of bombing the 3,000-year-old town of Leptis Magna, one of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the Mediterranean.

Cyrene, Africa’s largest ancient Greek site, has thus far been untouched by the current conflict in Libya, but conservation and tourism, which last year saw approximately 10,000 tourists visit the site from countries all over the world, have come to a halt. Security also remains an issue for the site, which was looted in 2001 and 2009. Cyrene is considered one of the most important Classical Greek sites outside of Greece, yet it is one of the most neglected and endangered UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Mediterranean Basin.

Sheep graze at the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, where conservation and tourism have come to a halt since a civil war erupted in February. Photo: Reuters

GHF has been working at Cyrene since 2005, leading a historic partnership between the Second University of Naples, the Libyan Department of Antiquities, and the Libyan Ministry of Culture. A program of master planning, scientific conservation, community development, training and new partnerships is being implemented to preserve Cyrene, which is located in one of Libya’s least developed provinces. This includes local workers learning conservation and restoration techniques from Italian engineers and archaeologists.

GHF has thus far secured over $320,000 for master planning and engineering for the Sanctuary of Apollo amphitheater, and secured $500,000 in co-funding from in-country partners. Conservation, however, has become impossible since rebels began their attempted overthrow of Gaddafi.

Click here to explore Cyrene on Global Heritage Network