Cyrene and other Libyan sites defaced and left for grabs

The great city of Cyrene that rose from its ashes in the last one hundred years or so is sadly being defaced by graffiti. It is left at the mercy of vandals and looters. The local population, for whatever reason, confiscates the land illegally, and only Zeus may know what will become of this precious gem on the coast of North Africa.

Cyrene is on the UNESCO World Heritage list with the archaeological sites of Leptis Magna, Sabratha, and Ghadames (pre-Saharian city), all tagged as “in danger.” Other smaller but no less precious sites have been plundered and looted at the same rate or maybe more because they are not so well known or documented. Cities belonging to the Cyrenaica, like Ptolemais and Apollonia, and the rich Roman villas strung along the western seaside, roughly between Leptis Magna and Sabratha, are easy targets.

Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the Department of Antiquities has been virtually powerless and has no means to stop vandalism or theft. Many artifacts have been smuggled outside the country, and it seems to be everyone’s guess which objects are gone and who has acquired them.

The people of Libya, unfortunately, do not appreciate their cultural heritage, and obviously, they have other priorities.

What is the use of having laws against looting and illegal operations if there is no central power to enforce and apply these laws, I wonder. With the best intentions, a “world heritage” in this context is meaningless.