‘On our final day in Ghadames, there was a special event to thank all those who have worked on the Dan al-Ali building and look to its future which will bring it to life as a cultural hub for the community and visitor centre. We are in the process of arranging the first events and exhibitions there as well as signing a Memorandum of Agreement with the Ghadames Women’s Centre. The meeting culminated in the signing over of the building from the contractors to the GCDPA and MaLiCH project. It was an extraordinarily rich experience being in Ghadames and we look forward to returning soon to work on the next phase’.
Dr Will Wootton, Reader in Classical Art and Archaeology
29 June 2023
'An extraordinarily rich experience': King's researchers return to Libya for cultural heritage project
A team from the Department of Classics returned to Libya as part of The Managing Libyan Cultural Heritage Project.
A team from the Department of Classics returned to Libya as part of The Managing Libyan Cultural Heritage Project, following the first successful visit in January 2023. The team included Dr Will Wootton and Dr Hafed Walda, with the support of Dr Hiba Alkhalaf.
The Managing Libyan Cultural Heritage Project (MaliCH) is aimed at delivering training in heritage protection, emergency stabilisation and management planning for three out of five Libyan World Heritage Sites: the Old Town of Ghadames, the Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna and the Archaeological Site of Sabratha. All of them have been on the UNESCO In-Danger List since 2016 due to the ongoing conflict in the country. Funded by the International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH), the project ran for three years from March 2020 until February 2023.
During the trip in May 2023, King’s researchers visited the Old City of Ghadames. Following an eight-hour journey, they were greeted by the Ghadames City Development and Protection Authority (GCPDA), the Department of Antiquities (DoA) and the people of Ghadames, including the Mayor. The researchers then attended an official ceremony at the Ain al-Faras Spring and concluded the tour with a visit to the Dan al-Ali building.
In Tripoli, King’s researchers met with the Chairman of the Department of Antiquities, Dr Mohamed Faraj, to discuss the work along the Tripolitania coastline. They finalised the plans for local vegetation management in Sabratha and Leptis Magna, which will start with emergency measures to control some invasive plants, followed by a strategy for regular maintenance.
During their last evening in Tripoli, the team explored the vibrant Libyan cultural scene. One of the highlights of the trip was their visit to Hosh Alsaboun (The House of Soap), a historic building which has been restored following 15 years of neglect and transformed into the Tripoli House of Traditional Arts and Crafts.
King’s College London's Department of Classics is enormously grateful to the DoA and GCPDA for their continuing support and collaboration. The team is also especially grateful to the funders of the project, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas ALIPH Foundation.
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Reader in Classical Art and Archaeology
Postdoctoral Research Associate