Italy helps in restoration of Aelia Arisuth / Mithra’s worshipers’ Tomb in Girgarish

The Ambassador of Italy to Libya, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, yesterday opened the inauguration event of Aelia Arisuth / Mithra’s worshipers’ Tomb in Girgaresh, after the restoration of the hypogeum and of the wall frescoed paintings.

The head of Libya’s Department of Antiquities (DoA), Mohamed Faraj Mohamed al Faloos, and Prof. Luisa Musso, president of Fondazione Mediterraneo Antico (MedA) and director of the archaeological mission were also part of the inauguration ceremony.

The complex is one of the most representative monuments of ancient Oea (the ancient name of Tripoli), located in the Girgarish oasis.

Its recovery was the result of a joint initiative of Italian and Libyan archaeologists, made possible thanks to the endorsement of the Italian Embassy in Libya, the precious contribution of Prof. Bashir O. Galgham, director of DoA’s Office of International Relations, the financial contribution of Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Fondazione Mediterraneo Antico (MedA).

The event took place in front of important members of the country’s cultural and political scene, and also of international guests, who were able to learn the different restoration phases throughout the years, illustrated in a dedicated photo exhibition. Through a guided tour, the participants had the opportunity to see the site’s original beauty, now returned to the public in its ancient splendour.

The Italian embassy said the event represents an important achievement in the country’s delicate social and political context, marking another step ahead in the field of cultural cooperation between the Embassy of Italy and its Libyan partners.

Commenting on the occasion, Ambassador Buccino Grimaldi said: “the archaeological site’s restoration represents a concrete demonstration of the Italian efforts in the preservation and the promotion of Mediterranean heritage, in an area which nowadays has the highest number of archaeological missions accredited by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation”.