In partnership with our Libyan colleagues, and with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) and the Cultural Antiquities Task Force (CATF), ASOR is bringing a message of hope through Cultural Heritage Volunteer Weekends (“pop-up” events).

The most recent gathering took place over February 11–15, 2020, in Sabratha, Libya—an ancient port city founded in Punic times and later conquered by Rome. The city is now one of Libya’s five UNESCO World Heritage sites. Located along the western coast of Libya, Sabratha has been a haven for Libyan smugglers and human traffickers. Just four years ago, it was the site of executions by ISIS.

Fighting continues in the nearby capital of Tripoli, and Libya remains in a tumultuous state in the West. Despite these challenging circumstances, ASOR and our Libyan colleagues continue to foster a sense of shared heritage and the idea that it is the responsibility of the whole community to care for this heritage.

These Cultural Heritage Volunteer Multi-day Events include workshops, lectures, site visits, and site maintenance and cleaning. In Sabratha, 145 participants attended the lectures, and many more participated in the site visit(s) and cleaning portions of the event.

ASOR’s Museum Suitcase Project featured prominently in the program. The event benefited from 18 specialized trainers, teachers, and professors. Attendees included students and faculty from the University of Sabratha, members of the Libyan Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, officers of the Tourist Police, and archaeologists working for the Libyan Department of Antiquities. In addition, seven journalists and one regional television crew attended.

The event organization was led by the University of Sabratha, which was a vital partner by providing both facilities and financial assistance. Other institutional partners included the Municipality of Sabratha, the Sabratha Inspectorate of Antiquities, and the Organization of Libyan World Heritage Cities. We also benefited from the cooperation and participation of the Libyan Scouts and Guides and the Tourist Police and Antiquities Protection Authority. While the event focused on local volunteer action to protect Libyan heritage, participants came from far and wide, including Al-Qayrat Al-Jarmah, Al-Fakhfakh Jarma, Hon, Sirte, Benghazi, Bani Walid, Ghadames, Nalut, Zuwara, Sabratha, and Tripoli. The success of the event would not have been possible without the amazing support of all of these partners who came from around the country to volunteer together. This broad cooperation attests to the wide-spread support cultural heritage programs are receiving even during difficult times.

 

Workshop welcome banner.

 

Visit to the archaeological site of Sabratha.

 

 

 

Pottery restoration.

 

Site cleaning at Sabratha.

 

Cleaning mosaics.

 

 

 

Workshops and lectures at the Sabratha Library Hall.

 

Participants in the Museum Suitcase Project with one of the suitcases.

 

Certificate of participation.

 

The next Cultural Heritage Volunteer Weekend Event will take place March 12-18 in Ghadames and Nalut and these events will be featured in forthcoming News@ASOR and ANE Today.