Leptis Magna

Sabratha

Cyrene

Tadrart Acacus

Ghadames

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Location of World Heritage Sites in Libya

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. ^[1] Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage. ^[2] Libya accepted the convention on 13 October 1978. ^[3] There are five World Heritage Sites in Libya, with a further three on the tentative list. ^[3]

The first three sites in Libya were added to the list in 1982 and the most recent one in 1986. ^[3] All five sites are listed due to their cultural significance. Since 2016, all five sites have been listed as endangered because of the instability due to the Libyan civil war. ^[4]

World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural. ^[5]

World Heritage Sites

Site	Image	Location ( district)	Year listed	UNESCO data	Description
Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna†		Murqub	1982	183; iii, v vi (cultural)	Leptis Magna was founded as a Phoenician settlement LPQ and came under the Romans in 46 BCE. It was the birthplace of the Septimius Severus. After becoming the Emperor in 193, he rebuilt and enlarged the city and made it one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman world. It is one of the best examples of Roman urban planning. It was pillaged in the 4th century, reconquered by the Byzantines, and was finally abandoned following the Arab invasion. The ruins of the Roman theater are pictured. [6] [7]
Archaeological Site of Sabratha†		Zawiya	1982	184; iii (cultural)	Founded as a Phoenician trading post and then part of the Numidian Kingdom of Massinissa, Sabratha got absorbed in the Roman province of Africa in 46 BCE. It was prospering in the 2nd and 3rd centuries when numerous monuments were constructed, including a treatre with three orders of columns (pictured). Its fortunes turned in the 4th century with the decline in trade. In 455, the city was conquered by the Vandals. It later saw another stable period under the Byzantines until it was ultimately abandoned after the Arab invasions between the 7th and 11th centuries. [8] [9]
Archaeological Site of Cyrene†		Jabal al Akhdar	1982	190; ii, iii, vi (cultural)	Cyrene was founded as a Greek colony of Thera in 631 BCE. It was a major city of the Hellenistic and later Roman world. It was heavily damaged during the Jewish revolt in 116 and rebuilt under Hadrian. Its decline began with the massive 365 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the city. Monuments in the city include the Greek temples of the 7th and 6th centuries, Roman baths, a Greek theatre converted into a Roman one, and a Roman forum. The Temple of Zeus is pictured. [10] [11]
Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus†		Ghat	1985	287; v (cultural)	The rock paintings and engravings in the Acasus Mountains were created over thousands of years, from 12,000 BCE to 100 CE. They can be divided into very distinct phases with different motifs and artistic styles that reflect the changes of the local climate, flora, fauna, and the way of life of the locals during and after the African humid period. The oldest paintings depict large mammals of savanna, such as giraffes and elephants, while later paintings focus on herds of cattle, horses, and finally on dromedary camels of a desert climate. [12] [13]
Old Town of Ghadamès†		Ghat	1986	362; v (cultural)	The oasis town of Ghadamès is one of the oldest and most important cities of the Sahara. It has been occupied since at least the late 1st millennium BCE and was serving as a hub of the trans-Saharan trade network. The town has developed its unique architecture, adjusted to the harsh desert climate. A typical feature are multi-storey houses where the ground floor is for storage, first floor is for families, and the open terraces are for the use of women. Ghadamès has the nickname "the Pearl of the Desert" by Arab sources. [14]

Tentative list

In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. ^[15] Libya maintains three properties on its tentative list. ^[3]

Tentative sites

Site	Image	Location ( district)	Year listed	UNESCO criteria	Description
Archaeological site of Ghirza		Misrata District	2020	ii, iii (cultural)	The settlement of Ghirza was a part of the southern border of the Roman Empire, the Limes Tripolitanus, as organized by the Emperor Septimius Severus c. 200 CE. The remains of the settlement have been well preserved, with civil buildings and numerous monuments. It illustrates the adaptation of Roman engineering approaches to the local environment, with aspects such as water management. The findings in the two extensive necropolises demonstrate a dynamic interchange between the Romans and the local populations. [16]
The Archaeological Site of Ptolemais		Marj District	2020	ii, iii, iv (cultural)	Ptolemais was founded as a Greek colony in the 7th century BCE. It was one of the five important cities that formed the Pentapolis of Cyrenaica. It flourished during the Hellenistic and later Roman periods and in the 4th century surpassed Cyrene that was damaged by earthquakes. It was also an important Early Christian diocese. It continued to be inhabited until the 14th century. The remains of the city illustrate the cohabitation of different faiths and cultures. Monuments from different time periods have been preserved, including a unique type of a mausoleum. [17]
Haua Fteah Cave		Derna District	2020	ii, iii, iv (cultural)	The cave is an archaeological site with a 14 m (46 ft) deep record spanning over 150,000 years. It includes traces of occupation by anatomically modern humans, stone flake tools of from the Middle Paleolithic, stone blades from the Upper Paleolithic, and the beginning of farming 10,000-7000 years ago. It also provides a record of the climate in the region, including the humid periods ("green Sahara") which allowed people to cross what is today a desert. [18]

References