Libya's National Museum Reopens After Gadhafi Uprising Closure
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Tripoli's Red Castle museum, home to 5,000 years of Libyan history, has reopened for the first time since the 2011 revolution that ousted Gadhafi.
The National Museum in Tripoli, housed within the historic Red Castle fortress, has reopened its doors to the public for the first time since the 2011 uprising that led to the fall of Moammar Gadhafi. The museum showcases a vast collection of artifacts, offering a glimpse into Libya's rich and complex history spanning five millennia.
Formerly known as As-Saraya Al-Hamra, the Red Castle has long been a prominent landmark in the Libyan capital. Its collection includes:
- Ancient mummies
- Relics from Libya's Greek, Roman, and Islamic eras
- Islamic art and architecture
- Objects from the Italian colonial period
- World War II artifacts
- Items related to Libya's independence
- Galleries dedicated to prehistoric times and ancient Libyan tribes such as the Garamantes.
At the reopening ceremony on Friday, which included a fireworks display, Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbiebah of the Government of National Unity stated, “The reopening of the National Museum is not just a cultural moment but a live testimony that Libya is building its institutions.”
The museum had been closed since February 2011, when protests against Gadhafi's rule began in Benghazi and quickly spread to Tripoli. The initial protests called for the release of political prisoners and for Gadhafi to step down. The unrest escalated, with demonstrators seizing control of Benghazi and the Libyan government responding with force against protesters in Tripoli.
