Libya is home to five UNESCO World Heritage Sites and many archeological remains, yet there have been increased incidents of antiquity theft and smuggling of artifacts. Saleh Agab, Head of the Libyan Department of Antiquities (DoA), says religion and fatwas allowing for the trade of artifacts—on the pretext that it dates back to pre-Islamic times— is partly to blame for the plundering.

Libya is home to five UNESCO World Heritage Sites and many archeological remains, yet there have been increased incidents of antiquity theft and smuggling of artifacts. Saleh Agab, Head of the Libyan Department of Antiquities (DoA), says religion and fatwas allowing for the trade of artifacts—on the pretext that it dates back to pre-Islamic times— is partly to blame for the plundering.

Mr. Agab, more than 15 historical sites were vandalized or stolen during and after the February 17th revolution. Would you tell us about that?

These events started before the revolution. For example, someone pulled out parts of the corner of the “Four Seasons” mosaic in the city of Cyrene on February 15, 2011.

When the revolution broke out in Eastern Libya the next day, the antiquity observer called me, expressing his worries that some antiquities in some warehouses were not well-secured. However, contrary to the observer’s worries, citizens of all historical sites got together to protect them.

For example, citizens of the village of ‘Qasr Libya’, eastern Libya, in coordination with the village sheikhs and dignitaries protected the 50 wonderful and easily movable floor mosaic pieces displayed, among other antiquities, in the museum of an old church. In Benghazi many people, including university professors like Dr. Khaled Haddar, secured a lot of antiquities by taking them to their homes.

However, in the city of Susa, on the eastern coast, four pottery cups were stolen, reportedly by a well-known person; however, it is not the time to investigate the case.

In Bani Walid, the museum was pillaged and destroyed since it was used by Gaddafi’s brigades, while in Tripoli, Leptis Magna, and Sabratha, not a single antiquity was lost because the Department of Antiquities (DoA) secured them and had enough time to preserve and protect them.

Furthermore, rebels protected Museum of Libya – DoA’s headquarters in Tripoli – after they liberated it from the brigades, which had been using it as a headquarters, being certain that NATO would not bomb it since it is enlisted on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

After the revolution and the consequent collapse of security services, individuals started digging operations in search of treasures and antiquities to smuggle and sell them abroad; however, we are doing our best to stem the tide of these activities.

During the revolution, the so called “Cyrenian Treasure” deposited by Cyrene Antiquity Department from the 1960s in the Commercial Bank of Benghazi was lost, and the Egyptian Al-Wafd and Al-Sha’b newspapers talked about seizing stolen items believed to be parts of this treasure at Sallum crossing point. Could you please tell us about the treasure, its components and how DoA plans to deal with the issue?

The treasure was not recorded by DoA since it was maintained at the bank from 1961 and it was documented in nomenclature only with no photos whatsoever. DoA had a project to register it in May 2011, but the revolution outbreak in February 2011 prevented that. We are now following-up the issue with the Interpol.

It contains around 9,000 antiquities, including ancient currencies, statues, and small sized sculptures, and of which about 8000 pieces have been stolen. Since some of them might have been smuggled into Egypt, we are coordinating with the Egyptian government regarding this issue, and one of our experts is going to Egypt in the next few days to follow-up the issue.

Does DoA with its existing structure, which specialists believe needs development, have the capacity to cover all the antiquities in Libya?

DoA has offices and branches all over Libya, but as monitoring and following-up the preservation of all historical sites is a hard task and as development and building are now of faster mechanisms, this structure needs more examination and development.

Have you restored any of the country’s stolen antiquities?

I cannot count all stolen antiquities since looting them started in 1600 with the stealing of a statue from Leptis Magna and dispatching it to France where it is still displayed in the Louvre. As for the number of stolen antiquities registered at DoA and for which the Interpol has been notified, it amounts to 147 pieces.

Many antiquities have been restored, even voluntarily, whether by foreigners or Libyan nationals. Recently, a Cyrene citizen handed back a small statue. The same happened in Jaghbub and Tripoli, in addition to Tobruk where citizens returned wonderful statutes.

What about the stolen Sunset Goddess statue?

It was stolen in 1990 from Cyrene, and only one head was restored.

Do you think the Libyan curriculum adequately acquaints students with Libyan history and antiquities?

Unfortunately, the former regime policy consolidated a view point that antiquities are not artifacts belonging to Libyans, but remains of the colonists, which resulted in a negative attitude by Libyans towards them. Such a view point is refuted by the fact that antiquities around different parts of Libya have common features, which clearly evidences that all Libyans belong to the same civilization, and that this civilized heritage constitutes part of their history, culture, and historical identity.

We have launched educative programs in primary schools in Shahat and Susa, which has proven successful, and we hope they are generalized.

For 42 years, the world saw Libya symbolized by photos of Gaddafi spread everywhere in Libya and in its embassies. Are we going to see photos representing Libya and its civilization instead?

I hope so, especially since Libya has a rich civilization and cultural heritage, and its distinguished revolution astonished the world. I hope that religious institutions and the grand mufti suggest that these antiquities are part and parcel of the public resources, which should be well preserved so as to be an alternative income source for our coming generation, especially when petroleum diminishes, and to use this heritage in creating a growing economy.

Occasionally, we hear of a fatwa legitimizing earning by trading in components of civilization heritage on the pretext that it goes back to the pre-Islam times, or that he who finds anything buried in ground has the right to seize it after paying half its value as alms. We are expecting Dar Al-Ifta – Fatwa Making Body – to make a fatwa warning against such activities.