UPDATE – CHI Update: Ghat Womens Union - American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR)

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Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grant (CPAIG) Mini-Grants Program in Libya: Ghat Women’s Union

Sustainability and Reuse of Historic Cities: Kaswa Museum

This project is one of several mini-grants organized by ASOR as a part of its ongoing efforts for cultural heritage protection in Libya, funded through the Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grant (CPAIG) and the U.S. Embassy to Libya. The Ghat Women’s Union, a civil society association active in southwestern Libya, deployed the mini grant to restore a mudbrick building in the ancient public market and reanimate it as a public museum.

Deep in the southern desert of Libya near the border with Algeria, residents of the town of Ghat are linked to the traditions of the coast as well as the traditions of the Niger river valley. For more than two thousand years, this community has provided a vital waypoint along the routes of trans-Saharan trade. During much of that period, a weekly market hosted at the center of this ancient circular city of mudbrick provided an opportunity for neighbors to come together and traders to exchange goods sourced thousands of kilometers away.

Over the past half century, this rhythm of life changed dramatically as families moved away from the traditional houses thatched with palm fronds towards concrete compounds on the periphery where the conveniences of running water, electricity and air-conditioning were more readily available. The weekly market persists, but imported plastic goods have replaced most of the items that were once made locally by hand.

The Ghat Women’s Union recognized the importance of documenting craft traditions before they disappeared entirely. According to Ms. Zamzam Fadeel, the project manager for the Union, “We launched a project to document and protect both the buildings and sites of the historic city of Ghat alongside its craft traditions. Our goal was to create a public place that people would want to visit and also to encourage local families to recognize the value of these traditions and do their part to protect them.”

With the support of a Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grant (CPAIG) from the U.S. Dept. of State and the Libya External Office (LEO), ASOR made a grant of $5,000 to the Ghat Women’s Union to provide for basic stabilization and repair of the Kaswa market building and the reanimation of this space as a museum dedicated to public exhibitions. The walls and the roof of the building were restored, new doors and windows were installed, and the lighting system on the interior was upgraded.

In accordance with the objectives of the bi-lateral Cultural Property Agreement between the United States and Libya, this work was intended to increase capacity to better protect Libyan cultural heritage as well as support wider public outreach efforts. This is one of eight similar cultural protection projects that ASOR is currently supporting around Libya through a competitive “Mini-Grants” program.

Al-Qambri or Amzad. A musical instrument, which is similar to the Rababa.

Ms. Zamzam Fadeel, Ghat Women’s Union Project Manager, further described the vision of the Women’s Union: “We see this work as a first step towards creating a more substantive community museum. We started small, with photo documentation of twelve craft traditions that are emblematic of the diverse heritage of our city. We hope that this initial success will lead to ongoing efforts to protect the cultural heritage of Ghat.” The project benefited from the work of a local photographer, Mr. Naser Khamiya, who produced captivating images capable of conveying both the detail and the power of these objects.

During the research phase of the project, Ms. Fadeel and her team met with many families in Ghat as well as in surrounding communities such as Al Fiout, and learned that the best examples of these traditional crafts typically remain in private collections. “As we continue to enlarge our museum, we hope that families will consider making donations to our exhibition space. We began with a collection of mostly photographs, but we imagine that it will include more and more physical objects in the future,” she explained.

On July 30, the museum opened to the public in a ceremony attended by officials from the Ghat municipality, the local tourism office, the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of Libya, and members of the Libyan Red Crescent Society. Those in attendance had a chance to learn about the project, tour the initial exhibition, and participate in craft activities.

Reflecting on the opening, Ms. Fadeel remarked, “We were proud to welcome our first visitors and hear the impressions and memories that our exhibit provoked. The team at the Women’s Union is committed to having this project continue and grow. We know that this is only the beginning.”