Libya Flood Disaster Damaged Ancient City But Revealed New Remains

Similarly, the flooding that killed thousands in Libya’s Derna last month damaged the ruins at the ancient Greek city of Cyrene in the mountains nearby, but it also revealed new archaeological remains there by washing away earth and stones.

Storm Daniel may have caused a meter of rain to fall on the hills of eastern Libya, an unprecedented amount since records began in the mid 19th century scientists say, and water was still flowing through the site when Reuters visited last week.

 Local antiquities department official, Adel Boufjra said the flooding caused mud and rubble to pile in Cyrene’s Greek-era baths that will require specialised clearing.

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He warned that although the damage so far has been slight, the flooding may have added to subsidence that could later topple one of the monuments.

Boufjra said, while that risks great damage to the picturesque ruins at Cyrene, known locally as Shehat and a draw for travellers since the 18th century, the water has also washed clear a previously unknown Roman drainage system. 

One of Libya’s five UNESCO World Heritage sites, along with the extensive Roman ruins overlooking the Mediterranean at Sabratha and Leptis Magna, Cyrene’s stone pillared temples stand on a fertile hillside near rocky crags.