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The UNESCO-listed sites, founded by Greek settlers from the island of Thera (modern Santorini) in 631 BC, were once flourishing centers of Greek civilization, culture, and philosophy in North Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cBreathtaking,\u201d says local tour guide Hamdi Al-Kailani, standing before the massive Temple of Zeus at Cyrene, which he notes is even larger than the Parthenon in Athens.<\/p>\n
Following the fall of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, the sites faced serious threats from militant groups, including Daesh (ISIS), which targeted them for looting. With state institutions largely collapsed, local archaeologists and residents took matters into their own hands. They hid priceless artifacts in their homes and stood guard over the ruins around the clock to prevent thefts.<\/p>\n
Then came Storm Daniel<\/strong> in 2023, which brought catastrophic flooding to the region, killing thousands and causing severe damage to the ancient sites.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were in shock,\u201d said Anis Hamid Younes, who oversees restoration work along the sacred pathway connecting upper Cyrene to the Temple of Apollo. His team has spent months clearing rubble, salvaging artifacts, and rebuilding sections of ancient walls using outdated equipment and limited resources.<\/p>\n At Apollonia, Cyrene\u2019s ancient port just 20 km away, the situation is even more alarming. Roughly one-third of the site has already been lost to rising sea levels, and experts now estimate an 80% risk<\/strong> of further irreversible damage due to marine erosion.<\/p>\n Local officials from Libya\u2019s Department of Antiquities have repeatedly requested assistance from UNESCO and other international organizations since 2016, but help has been slow to arrive.<\/p>\n Senior official Ahmad Essa Abdulkariem expressed frustration over the lack of support and called for a major change in attitude from Libyan authorities.<\/p>\n \u201cThey must stop thinking there are other priorities,\u201d he said. \u201cOil will run out one day, while these sites will exist forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Essa dreams of building a world-class museum in Cyrenaica comparable to the Louvre and recovering hundreds of looted Libyan antiquities currently held in museums abroad, including in Paris and London.<\/p>\n Despite the enormous challenges, local archaeologists remain hopeful that the sites can be protected and eventually reopened to visitors, preserving an irreplaceable chapter of Greek history in North Africa.<\/p>\n