American Support for Cultural Heritage in Libya
The United States is proud to support Libya in its efforts to safeguard antiquities and other Libyan cultural objects from looting, vandalism, and other threats. The United States has supported a series of risk reduction training workshops for safeguarding Libyan museum collections, archives, historic buildings, and archaeological sites; the publication of the ICOM Emergency Red List of Libyan Cultural Objects at Risk; and, in cooperation with ICCROM and UNESCO, the International Experts Meeting on the Safeguarding of Libya’s Cultural Heritage, convened in Tunis in May 2016.
U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP):
Through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), the U.S. has awarded $946,000 to preserve archaeological sites, historic monuments, and museum and other collections in Libya. The AFCP has completed six projects since 2005, organized by Oberlin College of Ohio, the American archaeological mission to Libya, and others in partnership with the Libyan Department of Antiquities. These projects address preservation needs at some of Libya’s most important museums and sites, including UNESCO World Heritage sites.
AFCP: American Support for the Conservation of Historic Photographs in the Red Castle Museum in Tripoli:
The most recent project supported through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation is the conservation of historic photographs at the Red Castle Museum, which was started in 2016. The Red Castle archive in Tripoli preserves nearly 100 years’ worth of photographs and archaeological site excavation records. In 2016, the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) awarded $102,000 for a partnership-based project involving the Libyan Department of Antiquities, the American archaeological mission, and Oberlin College of Ohio to provide conservation training and photo conservation supplies and equipment for Red Castle staff and others responsible for photo collections.
For more information on the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, visit this link.