Benghazi, Libya – The Benghazi Antiquities Authority has opened a new exhibition hall for recovered archaeological artifacts inside the historic Turkish Barracks.
This initiative aims to encourage citizens to hand over artifacts in
their possession and to strengthen the protection of cultural heritage.
There are also calls for the establishment of a modern national museum in the city.
A hall for displaying recovered artifacts
The exhibition hall houses a number of statues, pottery jars, and coins dating back to various historical periods.
These artifacts were recovered from citizens or seized by security forces in recent years.
The head of the Museums and Archaeological Storage Department at the Benghazi Antiquities Authority,
Ms. Sayyida al-Sarawi, confirmed that the aim of opening the hall is to build trust with the public.
The initiative also aims to encourage them to hand over artifacts instead of keeping them in their homes.
Calls for the establishment of a modern museum
Al-Sarawi explained that the current exhibits represent only a small fraction of
the thousands of artifacts stored in warehouses after being registered and documented.
She also pointed out that the city needs a well-equipped museum to house
these treasures and make them accessible to visitors and researchers.
She added that Libya still lacks a tourism infrastructure capable of capitalizing on its archaeological wealth.
She confirmed that some artifacts currently abroad cannot be repatriated due to the lack of suitable storage facilities.
Heritage in need of protection
Archaeological researcher Maher Al-Jaziri noted that the exhibited artifacts date back to
the Hellenistic and Roman periods and represent an important aspect of the history of the Cyrene region.
He also explained that depositing them with the relevant authorities reflects
a growing public awareness of the importance of protecting heritage.
The exhibition hall witnessed a large turnout from Benghazi residents
who expressed their admiration for the diversity of the archaeological finds.
They emphasized that the city possesses a rich historical legacy that deserves greater attention and preservation,
especially after the damage inflicted on museums and archaeological sites during the years of unrest that followed 2011.
