The tragedy of Benghazi, Libya’s second city
No one seems willing or able to rebuild it
THE GOLD-LEAF lanterns on the railings around the tomb are modelled on those that embellish Buckingham Palace. The crenellated walls glimmer with Italy’s finest marble. A huge chandelier within hails from Egypt. The shrine to Omar al-Mukh tar, Libya’s anti-colonial scholar-cum-warrior hero, has been handsomely restored, two decades after a jealous Muammar Qaddafi dumped it in the desert.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Smashed and forgotten”
Middle East & Africa April 9th 2022
From the April 9th 2022 edition
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