How Libya’s Historic Treasures Survived the Civil War

NATO officials overseeing the aerial bombing campaign against the forces of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi could have targeted positions nestled within an ancient complex of Roman ruins.

They didn’t.

Anchor Marco Werman speaks with archeologist Hafed Walda of Kings College in London.

Dr. Walda thanked NATO at a conference last week in Rome for sparing Libya’s antiquities.

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Marco Werman: Outside military intervention in Syria seems a remote possibility. In Libya, by contrast, NATO’s air campaign was widely seen as decisive in the eventual overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. But NATO’s raids in Libya felt a couple of places there unchanged and that’s a good thing. We’re talking the ancient cities of Sabratha and Leptis Magna. They are considered to be among the most magnificent Roman ruins anywhere. Libyan-born archeologist Hafed Walda is with Kings College, London. I’d like you to tell us Dr. Walda just how crucial it was for NATO to avoid any collateral damage at the sites of these Roman ruins. But describe for us, first of all, Leptis Magna and Sabratha because I am sure a lot of our listeners won’t know these two sites very well.

Hafed Walda: They are, more or less, untouched because they were covered by sand after they had been abandoned in the late Roman period. The sand stayed there covering the antiquities until the late 19th century once people started knowing about them. The backdrop is the blue Mediterranean. So, it is an idyllic place; it’s breathtaking.

Werman: Magnificent sites as you say and ones which potentially could have suffered greatly during the fighting to unseat Gaddafi from power. At a recent conference in Rome, Hafed Walda, you gave an update on what’s been happening at Leptis and Sabratha and you actually thanked NATO for sparing them. What do you know about NATO’s bombing strategy when it came to Sabratha and Leptis? Were there strict orders not to go anywhere near these two cities?

Walda: I know the strategy to avoid hitting any cultural heritage areas because we have been supplying them with [code nets???] via an organization called The Blue Shield which gives NATO and America [code nets???] of heritage sites to avoid and not to damage them. At one time, an area near Leptis Magna - it's a hilly area - there is a radar setting by the troops of Gaddafi; I went there and, to my astonishment, every single radar were hit by missiles and there is a Roman arch next to them that hasn't moved at all.

Werman: Wow! That's amazing!

Walda: It was very impressive.

Werman: I heard that early on in the battles Gaddafi loyalists were said to be hiding weapons in Sabratha - in the ruins, thinking that they would be protected there. Do you know whether NATO was prepared to take those weapons out if they had to?

Walda: I think they are not really high-caliber weapons and they are not threatening to the civilians. At the same time, the guards of the antiquities were persuaded not to endanger themselves and endanger the site.

Werman: What do you think that says about the overall appreciation in Libya of these Roman ruins? I mean, people must really value them.

Walda: They value them but, I'm afraid, it's not all of Libya that is like that because the previous regime disconnected heritage from the identity of Libya. Only the identity of Libya is linked to the Gaddafi's heritage. We want heritage to be a top priority as much as health, education and other things.

Werman: Hafed Walda, you were born and raised in Libya before moving to London. How large do sites like Sabratha and Leptis play in your own imagination? What do they mean to you personally?

Walda: They mean a lot to me because this is why I became an archeologist. I lived not far from Leptis and my father used to take us to Leptis Magna to go and see the ruins. He never explained exactly what are the building and history, but I tried very hard to get that information. Leptis Magna is not just history, it's the art, it's the architecture, it's the setting. It's the whole set of things. It's fantastically rich and it excites my imagination - I can't tell you more.

Werman: Hafed Walda, Research Fellow at Kings College, London, thank you very much indeed.

Walda: Thank you very much.

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