Tripoli_ A gathering of a number of historians and experts in the field of cultural heritage slammed the negative impact of oil companies on Libyan heritage and history in the south and called on authorities to bring an end to such destruction of cultural facts that go back to 500 thousand years in history.
The symposium titled “Civilized Contributions from the Libyan Desert” took place on Thursday in Tripoli at the headquarters of the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts was organized by the Center for Tabu Studies as an endeavor to spread cultural awareness about the richness of the Libyan culture and identity.
The symposium concluded that oil companies have caused visual distortions of important historical sites and it causes and the erasure of earth’s layers.
A presentation on Methantoush Valley made by professor Ramadan Al-Shaibani highlighted pre-historic tools found in the area which still stands witness to artistic and aesthetic values of the ancestors and continues to contribute to giving meanings to peoples’ lives. Photos of grinding tools, fire stoves, tombs and stone formations, stone tools, and stone hunting traps were shown to the audience.
The director of the center, Abdullah Laban, told LANA it is important for Libyans to preserve their rich heritage and the Center for Tabu Studies as a civil society organization is keen to do its part by focusing on Tabu culture and the Libyan tribal heritage.