A group of archaeologists in eastern Libya is working to protect the ancient Greek ruins of Cyrene and Apollonia, sites that have faced threats from jihadist looting and natural disasters. These UNESCO-listed ruins were key centers in a network of Greek colonies along North Africa’s coast and are now at risk due to political instability, environmental damage, and limited resources.

The ruins, including the imposing Temple of Zeus at Cyrene, which is slightly larger than Athens’s Parthenon, have experienced significant challenges since the fall of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Following the power vacuum, extremist groups such as the Islamic State targeted the sites for looting. With state institutions weakened or absent, local archaeologists and volunteers took measures to safeguard artifacts. Smail Dakhil, who manages the deteriorating Museum of Cyrene, recalled efforts by local experts to hide valuable statues, coins, and archival material in their homes. Community members also kept watch over larger sculptures, including a rare female sphinx, to prevent theft.

Founded in 631 BC by settlers from the Greek island of Thera (now Santorini), Cyrene flourished as a cultural and intellectual hub with a population that reached 100,000 at its peak. The site’s rich history includes contributions to philosophy, the arts, and sciences before earthquakes and wars reduced it to ruins, rediscovered only in the 18th century. Despite its significance, the site was largely neglected under Gaddafi’s rule, which prioritized pan-Arabism over Libya’s pre-Islamic heritage.

The situation worsened with Storm Daniel in 2023, when severe flooding devastated nearby Derna, claiming thousands of lives. The storm also damaged Cyrene, prompting teams led by Anis Hamid Younes to clear debris, salvage artifacts, and undertake restoration work along a sacred path to the Temple of Apollo. Despite limited equipment and funding, Younes expressed hope that the site might reopen to visitors by September. The floods, while destructive, also uncovered new archaeological finds, including engravings and funerary offerings in Greek and Roman tombs.

Meanwhile, the neighboring site of Apollonia, once Cyrene’s port, faces severe threats from rising sea levels and erosion. Talal Al-Hasey, a local official at Libya’s Department of Antiquities, warned that the risk of losing Apollonia has increased to 80 percent since the storm, with urgent interventions needed to protect exposed structures.

Officials lament a lack of consistent international support. Ahmad Essa Abdulkariem, a senior Department of Antiquities representative, highlighted repeated but unanswered requests for assistance from UNESCO and other organizations since 2016. In response, UNESCO’s new Maghreb director, Charaf Ahmimed, said he was unaware of these requests but affirmed the agency’s intention to resume engagement with Libya, planning a visit to Cyrene and Apollonia this summer.

Essa emphasized the need for Libyan political leaders to prioritize cultural heritage despite ongoing political divisions between a UN-recognized government in Tripoli and a rival eastern authority. “Oil will run out one day, while these sites will exist forever,” he said, advocating for investment in tourism and archaeological preservation as sustainable national assets. Essa also voiced aspirations for a world-class museum in eastern Libya to showcase the region’s heritage and potentially recover artifacts currently held abroad, including hundreds in institutions in Paris and London.