Tag: Libya

Videos from Leptis Magna: Rafa Vjajes visits the Roman Jewel of Libya

Following on from Herb Schmitz’s visit to the stunning Roman ruins of Leptis Magna (you can watch Heritage Key’s video interview with Herb on his visit to Libya here), one of the most prominent members of Heritage Key’s Flickr group has also recently visited the North African site and shot some videos of the various ruins. Rafa Vjajes is a Spanish photographer who often visits heritage and cultural sites around the world, and you can find many of his photographs in Heritage Key’s Flickr pool and see his stunning shot of the Roman Theatre at Sabratha which I featured as a Daily Flickr Find.

Leptis Magna is one of the most stunning archaeological sites from the Roman Empire, and many of the ancient remains are still in an excellent condition, having been preserved under sand for centuries. Heritage Key recently showcased a high resolution image provided by GeoEye of the site of Leptis Magna, where the true expanse of the Roman ruins can be seen from above. The area boasts many of the typical features of an ancient Roman city, many of which were captured by Rafa Vjajes on film.

The Amphitheatre of Leptis Magna

The Amphitheatre of Leptis Magna was one such structure which still remains intact today, and was constructed into the natural slope of soft sandstone, and in close proximity to the sea. With a capacity of 16,000 people, the amphitheatre would be host to gladiator battles against either one another or wild animals as well as public executions. It was a destination of entertainment for the citizens of Leptis Magna, and the architectural magnificence of the building is still evident in these well preserved remains of the amphitheatre.

Rafa Vjajes took video from inside the amphitheatre’s main arena itself which lies partially in ruin. Nevertheless, the condition of the structure is amazing considering the centuries it has survived and Rafa’s videos give a new insight to how the area would have looked in its day.

The Arch of Septimus Severus

There is also video footage of the road leading up to the Arch of Septimus Severus and the area surrounding it, showing the dominance of the structure. The Arch would have served as a monument which anybody approaching the city would have been able to see, and therefore required a dominating presence in its landscape. The arch was built to commemorate the “son of Leptis Magna” who went on to become Emperor Septimus Severus, and has now been partially restored by archaeologists. The arch was one of many monuments built to celebrate the return of the Emperor to his hometown in the 3rd Century BC.

The Hadrian Baths

Another key part of Roman Life revolved about the baths. The Hadrian Baths of Leptis Magna were constructed under the rule of Emperor Hadrian as part of his reconstruction programme. The main swimming pool of these Roman baths was located in an open courtyard, paved in marble and featuring a mosaic at the bottom of the pool. Despite the ruined state of many of the columns, it’s still easy to make out the pool and the general structure of the site.

You can follow Rafa Vjajes’ travels around the world through his Flickr photostream, which he regularly updates with hundreds of amazing photographs, or visit his personal website to see a portfolio of his work. You can also read more about Leptis Magna on Heritage Key, as well as being able to see stunning photography of the Roman ruins by Herb Schmitz and watch the video interview as Herb talks about his experience of visiting Libya.

Satellite Image: The Roman Ruins of Leptis Magna

Leptis Magna, which was opened to the public in 2005, represents some of the finest ruins of the Roman age. London-based professional photographer Herb Schmitz recently visited the area and took some fantastic images, and you should watch Heritage Key’s fascinating video interview with Herb as he shares some of his thoughts on his visit to this Libyan treasure. A view you most certainly don’t get to see very often is the satellite view, looking down onto these impressive Roman remains, and the town that has built nearby it. Thanks to Geoeye who have kindly contributed this amazing high resolution aerial image of the Leptis Magna site laying next to the lush blue ocean of the Mediterranean Sea, we can zoom in close and see this culture-rich area.

Leptis Magna is a hidden treasure that has only just opened up to the world, having recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Several new discoveries have been made here in the past decade, and it’s one of the most prominent Roman sites in the North African region. The site is a personal favourite of the travel writer Ethel Davies, and boasts several key structures that were crucial to Roman society.

So what can you spot in the below image?The following famous landmarks are all in there:

The Arch of Septimius Severus is named after the Roman emperor Septimius Severus who was born in Leptis Magna. He is credited with stabilising the empire after the chaotic 193AD Year of Five Emperors when the ruler changed several times. Although some of the friezes were moved into a nearby museum, many of them remain on the Arch. The Arch is a key landmark of the city, and anybody approaching from the outside would immediately be greeted by it’s architectural splendour. There are several other arches in the area too including the Arch Tiberius, Arch of Trajan, Arch of Anonious Piud and Arch of Marc Aurillus.

Click the (+) and (-) buttons to zoom in and out of this image, or double click.
Drag the image with your mouse to move to a different area.

The Hadrianic Baths are one of the oldest structures in Leptis Magna to have been constructed from marble.Only the baths of Carthage were bigger than the Hadrianic Baths, and they were constructed in a somewhat modest, but still stunning, architectural style. The baths are complete with dressing rooms, and multiple pools made for both hot and cold water.

New Satellite Images Coming Each Week

Each week, Heritage Key will be showcasing high resolution satellite photography of Ancient World sites from across the globe, courtesy of GeoEye!

You can see last week’s stunning aerial image of the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza.

Be sure to check back each week to see which Heritage site we cover next.

Also of interest is the Nymphaeum, which is located just outside the baths. This impressive fountain is located at the end of the Colonnaded Street and is formed of a semi-circular facade supported by columns, flanked with a bowl at the base in which the water collects. As the other end of the Colonnaded Street is the Severan Harbour, protected by a lighthouse.

Adjacent to the baths is the Palaestra, which was a gymnasium area that was often used by wrestlers.The space was a large open court where people could play ball, go running, weight lift or even play dice! They would then proceed to cleanse themselves in the baths.

The Amphitheatre was a Roman institution, and is completed built into the depressed topography of the land. Although located a kilometre outside the city, it had a capacity of 16,000 people and would cater for everything from gladiator events to wild animals.

This handy plan shows all the key sites across Leptis Magna. Image credit - Miklos Kiss.Part of the site contains the Old Forum, which is the site of the Old Basillica and Old Forum Church of Leptis Magna. Many of the remains in this area date from around 0AD, and were temples of the Roman religion; Leptis Magna did not convert to Christianity until later, and new structures were built to account for this, such as the Severan Basilica. There are many temples in Leptis Magna, including the Temple of Liber Pater, the Temple of Rome &Augustus, the Temple of Hercules, Temple of Jupiter Dolichenus and the Temple of Di Augusti.

If you’re stuck for identifying them apart, then have a look at the plan of Leptis Magna on Miklos Kiss’ Flickr photostream, which highlights all the key sites, so you can zoom in on this fantastic high resolution image and pick out all the wonders of Leptis Magna.

The Satellite Image is courtesy of GeoEye.

Libya opens Leptis Magna to the world

Herb Schmitz is a well travelled professional photographer with an impressive array of cameras, including his trusty Nikon D-3. Click the image to skip down to the video.London-based photographer Herb Schmitz spends most of his time away travelling and photographing political figures, landscapes and fashion. It’s more of a hobby now, but Herb has had a long and successful career in photography. Little more then a year ago, while working for a shipping company, Herb had a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to visit Libya’s Roman city Leptis Magna. I met Herb Schmitz in his studio to create this video interview, shot by film-maker Samantha Newton, in which he describes his experience photographing this amazing site, and his cameras of choice.

Archaeologists from the University of Hamburg were excavating along the Libyan coast just outside the ruins of Leptis Magna in 2000 when they discovered one of North Africa’s best preserved Roman cities, complete with ancient Roman ruins, roman baths, and gladiator ring. The finds were made public in 2005.

He would only be allowed to travel to Tripoli if he left his professional camera equipment and, most importantly, his American wife Pat Doyle, behind

As the country celebrates 40 years of Gaddafi rule, and the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, is welcomed back in his country as a hero, Libya is hot news these days. The country has only recently opened its doors to foreign tourists, but Herb had a vague idea what was waiting for him and his wife when they took the opportunity to visit one of the Roman Empire’s most beautiful cities. Herb Schmitz, a German national, has travelled to much of the Middle East, so he was used to the culture and restrictions of the Arab World as a western photographer.

But as he faced the local authorities at customs he found out that he would only be allowed to travel to Tripoli if he left his professional camera equipment and, most importantly, his American wife Pat Doyle, behind as she had no visa to enter Libya.

Herb took his compact Canon G-10 Powershot with him, and left for a quick tour of the city’s ruins.

Canon PowerShot G10: 15MP & 28mm Wide – The Must-Have Snapper

When Herb showed me the camera I was quite impressed by its vintage look, and how it feels like traditional old cameras. It has endless exposure settings and can take high-quality video, and the large LCDdisplay is wonderful. The third-generation PowerShot G10 is a stunning little camera, and loaded with superb specs, like 14.7 megapixels and a 28mm wide-angle lens. It has a endless amounts of shooting and recording modes. It will definitely be on my Christmas list this year!

Nikon D-3 : The Professional Choice

Herb has taken some beautiful photos of the Roman baths, The Arch of Septimius Severus and Medusa’s head all with the compact little wonder – Canon G-10. If he were to return, however, he would take his impressive Nikon D-3 and his wide-angle lens. It’s amazing to watch him click through the camera so naturally; he creates wonders and you can’t even keep up with him. Herb is an amazing photographer with any of his equipment, but I must say he adores his Nikon D-3. The camera and all the lenses look like diamonds nestled in the steel carrier bag he has designed.

As we go through different equipment Herb picks up a toy-like camera with a sparkle in his eyes. He shows it to us in detail: the pen-shaped device, a Minox B, sub-miniature Camera from 1968, looks like something from a James Bond film. We agree that it’s a must-have gadget for any aspiring detective.

Libya Travel Advice

One can spend hours in Herb’s studio going through everything, from old Leica cameras to all sorts of new digital models: once you get into years of work in the slides it’s hard to get out. Before we finish our interview we talk a bit more about Leptis Magna and travelling to Libya in general. Based on years of experience going to many different cultures, Herb advises that you keep your cool as you face the authorities. He points out that once you actually pass through the red tape and mix with locals its actually a wonderfully warm experience.

In Libya’s case he managed to get some wonderful shots of some local families visiting – and they were extremely friendly towards him. As you plan your travel please check you’ve got all the necessary documents. Once there keep calm, pack light, bring along a compact camera and enjoy the wonders of the ancient world with fewer tourists.

HD Video: Herb Schmitz on shooting the Roman ruins at Leptis Magna, Libya

(Transcription of this video.)

For more advice on photographing ancient sites, check out Mary Harrsch’s practical guide. Heritage Key has a growing collection of video interviews on a wide range of heritage issues, such as the Great Cities in History, featuring Lord Norwich, and the Search for the Tomb of Cleopatra, featuring Dr Kathleen Martinez.

Daily Flickr Finds: Rafa Vjajes’ Sabratha Roman Theatre

Located on the coast of north-west Libya, Sabratha was incorporated into the Roman Empire during the second and third century AD as a trading post, when it flourished as an outlet for wares being exported from Africa. The city, nearby to Leptis Magna, was most notable for a fantastic Roman theatre which was built during 175-200AD as part of the reconstruction of the city under Emperor Septimius Severus’s rule. The remains are some of the finest examples of Roman architecture today, as is captured in a beautiful panorama in Rafa Vjajes’ photograph.

The three storey structure had over 25 entrances and the seating, stage and backstage rooms are still present, making it the most intact Roman amphitheatre today. With the capacity to hold 5,000 people, and a stage backdrop of 25 metres, the theatre was constructed using 108 columns over 3 storeys.

Reconstructed in the 1930s by an Italian team of archaeologists, and then reopened by Mussolini to be used to hold plays, many of the original materials used in the construction have been replaced with new alternatives. Travertine marble has replaced much of the synnadic marble and white marble used in the original structure.

Read more about Sabratha here at Heritage Key, and be sure to look through Rafa Vjajes’s Photostream at Flickr!

Photographer insight: Ethel Davies Captures Roman Africa

Ethel DaviesTravel writer and photographer Ethel Davies knows the Roman coast of North Africa better than most (see her top 10 sites here). We asked her to give us an insight into how her favourite image came about.

“As a professional travel photographer, I accrued a great number of images over the course of the two years of intensive work and study for North Africa: The Roman Coast (not to mention the various trips I took before my research began),” says Ethel. “Its virtually impossible to choose a favourite, as each image represents a place, an experience and even a feeling.

“If you have even the slightest bit of interest and ability, its difficult not to take a good photo when travelling through the magnificent Roman sites in North Africa. In general, the light is good, especially early and late, when the honey-pink hue of the stones glows. As well as the magnificent assembly of buildings, look out for details. Intact inscriptions can often be lying on the ground and, occasionally, its possible to find faces and torsos of statues scattered around some distance away from their original homes. Dont be limited to the well-trodden routes that the guides follow, either there is much to be seen that hasnt yet made it on to the tourist trail.”

Unable to choose her favourite image, Ethel instead sent us three of her best:

Djemila, Algeria: North Forum Arches

On the day before Christmas, at an altitude of 900 metres, the weather wasnt being very cooperative. Clouds were obscuring the sun and a cold wind was blowing. Although the site was extensive and impressive, I wasnt getting the shots I wanted due to the dull nature of the sky. Suddenly, after a few hours, breaks appeared in the mist and beams of light shone through. To take advantage of this fleeting illumination, I dashed back to my favourite remains, and en route caught a glimpse through this archway. The way the ancient paving stones gleamed, passing through the triumphal arches of emperors long gone, provided almost a better sense of looking into the past than my straightforward, conventionally lit shots.

Between the late time of year and the North African latitude, the sun was bright and I used the first arch to block its flare. I overexposed slightly to get more detail in the shadows, but even so, the light was strong, and the lack of action allowed me to set a small aperture with a longer time. I didnt need to take many shots, only varying between portrait and landscape versions, as the subject and composition seemed obvious to me. Besides, I still had a lot more left to document, and only limited time and fleeting decent weather available to me.

Leptis MagnaLeptis Magna, Libya: The Severan Forum

Picture the superb remains of an ancient Roman city with its excavated area stretching out for thousands of metres until it hits the sea and then imagine there are only about a dozen people on the entire site.

Leptis Magna is a photographers dream, with extraordinary remnants of its glory days lying about and very few humans to get in the way! Indicative, and frequently photographed, is the Severan Forum. The new central square built by the citys native son, Emperor Septimius Severus, replaced the old one that predated his reign. Almost 2,000 years later, Italian archaeologists used this huge area to house all the bits and pieces waiting to be resurrected in place. Among the columns and sculpted details gathered from various buildings are the Medusa heads, their quantity indicating that they were common images throughout the city. In this now somewhat overgrown plaza, these haunting faces appear, propped up on pedestals, leaning against walls and peaking through the grass. Their presence gets to be unnerving after a while, giving the sense that the photographic observer her/himself is being watched.

This image was taken on a perfect October day. The subtle shadowing of the mid morning gave definition to the subjects without my having to worry about later retrieving detail in Photoshop. In addition, the sun was still low enough to allow retention of the subtle variations of the colour of the stones. The brightness of the light allowed me to use a narrow aperture. I particularly like the way the grass crisscrosses the staring Medusa face. This picture is one among many, not because I struggled with the composition, but because at every turn was another shot.

Sabratha, Libya: The Seaward Baths

Sabratha is a wonderful site along the Mediterranean Sea with one of the most magnificent theatres still left standing in whats left of the Roman world. If time allows, however, there is much more to see and one of the great surprises is this mosaic. Part of a bathhouse, typically where some of the best examples of this art form are generally found, its most likely that in its day, this leisure area was situated some distance from the sea. Over time, the constant erosion drew the water closer and closer, and today, the colour of the tiny stones provides a delightful contrast to the blue of the Mediterranean. Its rare to find mosaics still in their original location, as most have been carted away to museums for preservation, and even more unusual to find them in such good condition.

I was here in mid-autumn and the storm season that prevented the ancients from sailing the Mediterranean was already starting. I had to dash between the raindrops, but the sun, when it finally came out, and the shine left over from the rain, brought out the fine points of this site. Speed, both of the camera and the photographer, was important, as I wanted to stop the action of waves in the photo, and to get as many views before the clouds gathered again.

Google Earth Tour: Ancient Africa – The “Forgotten” Roman Empire

Google Earth Tour - Roman Sites in North AfricaA recent interview by Lyn with author of North Africa:The Roman Coast, Ethel Davies, inspired me to take another look at Roman archaeological finds across this somewhat forgotten continent. When most people think of the Roman Empire, they immediately envision the temples, statues and amphitheatres spanning across Europe. But the vast coastal border of North Africa was controlled by the Romans too, and they certainly left their mark!

Ethel Davies listed her top ten sites across North Africa, which I’ve compiled into an easy to navigate Google Earth Tour, which will whisk you across the continent in just minutes! It’s complete with images and key facts about ancient relics across the vast continent. The tour enables you to fly over and explore the sites and their surroundings, and where you see a Heritage Key logo, you can click it and you’ll see more information about the adjacent landmark.

To view this Google Earth Tour, you will need to download additional software created by Google. You will require Google Earth 5.0 which will need to be installed in order to explore the aerial photography in a 3D environment. Once the software is installed, you will need to return to this webpage and download Google Earth Plugin (Your browser should meet minimum requirements). the Plugin can be downloaded by selecting it in the panel below:

To open webpages in a new window, right click the link in the information window and select “Open link in new window”. This will enable you to view the link in a full web browser.

You can also download this tour to your computer by clicking here, selecting “Save” and then running the file. It will automatically open Google Earth and begin the Heritage Key: Ancient Rome tour.

Have a look through our previous Heritage Key Google Earth Tours, and subscribe to be notified when new ones are added!

Roads Not-So-Less Travelled

A blog by Bija Knowles got me thinking about travel to ancient destinations.

In particular, Bija talks about Libya and its move towards promoting itself more as a tourist destination. Libya has long been one of the Holy Grails of travel writing because it’s been so difficult to get into (and to get around) it independently until now. This story by Jim Keeble has more on how the country is finally opening up to tourism.

It’s the same in countries along the old Silk Road routes, which are more tourist-friendly than ever. This encourages more people to discover the historic trading paths for themselves. And books like Silk Roads: A Route and Planning Guideby Trailblazer make it relatively easy to plan such trips.

The Benefits of Tourism

Tourism doesn’t only bring money to sometimes impoverished regions or leave visitors with stamps from exotic destinations in their passports. It also often draws external attention to local issues and puts previously ignored stories closer to the international spotlight. Would, for instance, an influx of tourism and the publicity surrounding it help preserve sites threatened with destruction, such as Kashgar? George Mitchell’s wonderful photos in Kashgar: Oasis City on China’s Old Silk Road illustrate why the city is worth preserving (and seeing for oneself).

Before Lonely Planet, it was only the daring (or the sometimes daft) who travelled overland through the Middle East

Guide book publishers play a huge role in deciding who goes where and when. Lonely Planet is perhaps the most obvious example of one publisher originally just one couple typing away on their kitchen table changing the travel landscape and opening up new destinations. Before Lonely Planet, it was only the daring (or the sometimes daft) who travelled overland through the Middle East, stopping at the Pyramids and Petra along the way, or who saw Ethiopias ancient churches for themselves. Perhaps they were the lucky ones; people who experienced those magical places before they were forced to share them with busloads of other camera-wielding tourists.

Publishers such as Trailblazer and Bradt are setting themselves apart from the Lonely Planets by presenting formerly off-limits destinations to the mass tourism market. Bradts Iran and North Africa: The Roman Coast are excellent examples.

Regardless of how we get there or whose advice we follow, we are all surely richer for being able to share the worlds ancient wonders. But with this good fortune comes a duty of care and a responsibility to help preserve them. How this is best achieved is a debate for another day.

Libya’s Terracotta Army

Terracotta armies are certainly in the news at the moment. The long-awaited third dig of Qin Shihuang’s tomb finally got under way last month in China, while a slightly more idiosyncratic clay army was causing some consternation in Germany last week: prosecutors are investigating whether the saluting garden gnomes created by artist Ottmar Hoerl are in fact breaking strict German code that bans Nazi symbols and gestures.

Libya’s Terracotta Army

While these terracotta armies grab the limelight, there is another ‘army’ of 4,500 small terracotta figurines, which were uncovered during excavations at the Greek and Roman ruins of Cyrene near Shahhat in Libya. Although most of the figurines were discovered during a previous excavation phase, it is thought likely that more terracotta votive figures may lie undiscovered at the site. The site was excavated between 1969 and 1978 when thousands of the clay figurines were discovered at the Extramural Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone. The sanctuary was once the focus of cult worship from the early sixth century BC, until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 365 AD. The Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone was one of Cyrene’s most important religious sites, and was where the annual religious festival, the Thesmophoria, would be celebrated to pray for safety and agricultural prosperity.

As a corpus they represent the largest and most diverse assemblage for North Africa that has been brought to light thus far, even though the sanctuary has only been partially explored.

The terracotta figurines were discovered alongside other items at the Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone, including pottery, sculpture, lamps, jewellery, coins, glass and personal ornaments. The figurines were far from the most important votive offerings made at the sanctuary; in fact they represented a cheap form of thanksgiving and were readily available. They were found scattered at different locations around the sanctuary during 10 years of excavation work.

In 1981 archaeological work came to a halt as the relationship between Libya and the West deteriorated and 23 years passed before the excavation could recommence. In 2004, the sanctuary again became the focus of study for the Cyrenaica Archaeological Project (CAP), a joint venture between Oberlin College (USA) and the University of Birmingham (UK), directed by Professor Susan Kane of Oberlin College. However, the project is currently on hold due to visa restrictions.

North Africa’s Largest Assemblage of Terracotta Figurines

While the Cyrenaic votive figures may not be able to compete with the Terracotta Army’s 8,000 clay soldiers, it is nevertheless a fascinating find that has received little international attention. Professor Emerita Jaimee Uhlenbrock, from the State University of New York’s department of Art History (at the New Paltz campus), has been studying the figurines from the Extramural Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone at Cyrene and is also Chair of the Coroplastic Studies Interest Group. She told Heritage Key: “As a corpus they represent the largest and most diverse assemblage for North Africa that has been brought to light thus far, even though the sanctuary has only been partially explored.”

The earliest figurines (from the seventh century BC) found at Cyrene were brought to Cyrenaica from other terracotta-producing centres in the Greek world. By the fifth century they were being produced locally, probably using methods of serial-production. Most of the figurines from the Extramural Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone date from the early fifth to the later fourth centuries BC and experts believe they were offered by the city’s Greek population (the Extramural Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone being a Greek sanctuary complex consisting of several buildings over a sprawling area).

Many terracotta small-scale sculptures have been found at Cyrene at various other sanctuaries as well. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston currently holds some figurines from the Sanctuary of the Chthonic Nymphs, which is on the acropolis of Cyrene, at the other end of the ancient city from the Extramural Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone.

Photo by Martin Beek.

Cultural Crisis in Libya as Roman Statues Looted

Libya’s Roman and Greek heritage is disappearing as we speak according to a report in the UAE English language paper The National.

Sites such as Leptis Magna, Cyrene and Sabratha have been extremely well preserved by Libya’s dry climate and the encroachment of the Sahara, which covered them for centuries. Mosaics, temples, theatres and Roman homes remain very much intact in these ancient cities, providing valuable evidence of the Roman empire’s occupation of Northern Africa during the first to the fifth centuries AD, as well as the pre-Roman Punic and Greek habitations.

But a lack of government funding and scant security has left these sites vulnerable to looting by art smuggling cartels, as well as locals digging for Roman coins to sell to tourists. In 2000, the heads of 15 statues disappeared from Cyrene (once a Roman town built at the site of an original Greek settlement). According to The National’s correspondent Iason Athanasiadis, looting originally started back in 1987 when Libya opened its border with Egypt. Since Libya’s improved relations with western Europe in 2003, the problem has accelerated, with what Athanasiadis calls an unprecedented gutting of Libyas ancient heritage sites.

There are estimates that the business of smuggling antiquities provides the largest turnover in the world, second only to oil and equal to arms sales.

To give an idea of the scale of the problem, Colin Renfrew of Cambridge University, who is working to stop international antiquities thefts, told Athanasiadis: There are estimates that the business of smuggling antiquities provides the largest turnover in the world, second only to oil and equal to arms sales. But you cant put a figure on a secret trade.

In fact this problem has been going on for a long time and has also been reported by the BBC: Libya fears for its stolen heritage. However, the problem is now escalating.

Libya, which officially renounced terrorism and weapons of mass destruction in 2003, has since sought to make tourism one of its main bread-winners. This seems unlikely to happen if the government continues to allow the country’s heritage to disappear.

Photo by Xavier de Jaurguiberry.