Today, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, the Libya Institute for Advanced Studies organized a meeting entitled: The museum portfolio and its role in protecting cultural heritage.
Mr. Islam Oribi, the relations officer at the Libya Academy, presented the meeting by welcoming and introducing Mr. Abdel Hafeez Al-Masalati, a university professor, who is in the process of defending his doctoral thesis, and a volunteer in the Libyan national project for the museum portfolio.
Professor Al-Masalati talked about the idea of the museum portfolio, and that it is preservation, maintenance and development, and that it is an important project that supports cultural heritage, and is important in the development of museums.
Some schools have adopted the idea of a museum bag in the academic schedule, and have arranged to participate in training some students from nursing homes and others to raise awareness.
He also pointed out the importance of documentation, even with a phone camera, for preserving cultural heritage, and that documentation is also important for recovering stolen antiquities anywhere.
He talked about the management of archaeological sites, and that mismanagement has failed heritage.
He touched on excavations, how they developed in the city of Benghazi, and how to deal with artifacts.
He also pointed out the importance of the museum, its development in other countries, and the existence of museums for people with disabilities, out of interest and respect for them.
Professor Al-Masalati also went on to talk about the ancient civilizations of Libya, and that they are 12 thousand years old, and that the cultural diversity present in Libya makes it a great country, if it pays attention to museums and antiquities, and focuses on increasing awareness about the cultural heritage.
The attendees participated in this meeting with their distinctive interventions and interaction with this project. They pointed out the lack of museums, the state’s lack of interest in these ideas, that antiquities are not only museums, and the large presence of antiquities on farms and the lack of interest in them. One of them expressed this wisdom: “Give me a museum and I will give you a people.” Classy.
They also warned of the lack of legislation and penalties for smugglers, thieves, and corruptors, and the necessity of organizing a workshop concerned with studying legislation and laws related to heritage, its importance, preserving it, spreading awareness, studying Law No. 3, and other proposals.