A Nation In Ruins

A few weeks ago a BBC journalist visited Leptis Magna, on the coast east of Tripoli.  It contains the remains of one of the most spectacular cities of the Roman Empire with its imposing public monuments, harbour, market-place and residential district.

The report included a picture of a lone man standing guard over the ruins.  He continues in spite the continuing conflict, the lack of tourists and the threat of Daesh. He carries an old rifle to defend the site.

Why does he continue to protect the place? Is it because he gets a salary?  Maybe not, since many other people receive a salary but don’t go to their place of work.  Maybe it is because Leptis Magna is such an iconic location, part of Libya’s identity which evokes a strong sense of history, a symbol of Libya’s past.

Ruins are certainly part of national identity.  The pyramids in Egypt, Petra in Jordan, the Acropolis in Athens: all tell stories of a glorious past.  That history is taught at schools and instils a sense of nationhood and a search for future glory.

In Britain, Stonehenge, a 4,000 year-old stone circle demonstrates that our ancestors were scientifically sophisticated, capable of transporting huge blocks for hundreds of miles and erecting them in a complex pattern that matched the movements of the sun. That too is a source of national pride.

Monuments like Leptis Magna now face a threat.  Daesh are present in many parts of Libya.  Last week they tried to take control the historic city of Sabratha, but local Libyans united to fight them off and defend the city and its ruins.

Daesh have already shown that they have no respect for ancient history or cultural heritage. In Syria, they not only blew up the 2,000 year old temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra, they murdered the 82-year old archaeologist who had dedicated his life to investigating and understanding the site.

According to UNESCO: “the systematic destruction of cultural symbols embodying Syrian cultural diversity reveals the true intent of such attacks, which is to deprive the Syrian people of its knowledge, its identity and its history.”

Maybe the guard at Leptis Magna wants to prevent such an act of barbarism.   Another possible motivation is that these ancient ruins are valuable to the economy.  Tourists like to clamber over old stones and take photos of ancient temples and columns.  They can be a source of employment and a place where local handicrafts can be sold.

I truly hope that Libyans will not allow Daesh’s fanaticism and criminality to destroy thousands of years of cultural heritage in Libya.  The many sites dotted round the country, whether Roman or Greek are a source of pride to the Libyans I have met.  They too are concerned by what Daesh might do if they got their hands on them.

Of course, many will say that people are more important than old stones: that the thousands of Libyans who have been displaced and forced to live in schools or other temporary accommodation should be the priority.

That is certainly true.  No-one would expect a Government of National Accord to make the protection of antiquities one of the top priorities for its first 100 days.  Improving security for people, getting the electricity running, regenerating the economy will all – rightly – be the priorities.

But protecting Libya’s heritage as a symbol of the nation’s history can help to reunite the country and restore a sense of pride in Libyan identity.

So I hope that someone will remember the lone guard at Leptis Magna, ensure that he is properly rewarded for his efforts and has the equipment necessary to continue to guard the site.  Better a nation intact than in ruins.