2023-09-15 07:51:44
The ruins of the Temple of Apollo in the ancient city of Cyrene, in eastern Libya’s Jebel Akhdar region, February 2022. ABDULLAH DOMA/AFP
The ruins of the ancient Hellenic necropolis of Cyrene, the largest in North Africa, had survived the chaos of war, rampant urbanization and the plague of looting. They also seem to have survived the devastating passage of Storm Daniel, which killed at least 4,000 people. Information is imprecise at present, as the flooding complicated access to the site. “But no major destruction has yet been recorded,” reported archaeologist Vincent Michel, who was in constant contact with the Tripoli and Cyrene antiquities departments. “It will be necessary to carry out a mission to assess the exact state of the site.”
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A number of tombs were nevertheless damaged and the foundations of many monuments below the sanctuary of Demeter were affected by the torrents of mud. The slabs of the ancient road linking the sanctuary of Apollo to the upper town were also ripped up by the flow of water. “The rushing water carried away a great deal of earth and stone, but none of the buildings in the sanctuary of Apollo collapsed,” explained Michel. “But they will have to be consolidated, as the large quantity of stagnant water makes them fragile.”
The ancient city of Apollonia, known for its thermal baths and ancient port, does not appear to have suffered significant damage. “But, as with the other coastal sites in Cyrenaica, water attacked the site and amplified the erosion,” lamented Michel. For the time being, it is impossible to assess the extent of the damage to the Latrun site, some 30 kilometers from Apollonia, as the road leading to it was destroyed. “However, the situation appears to be very critical in Derna, which boasts a magnificent mosque and a monastery on the seafront, among other jewels.”
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.
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