Ahmad 
Routine excavations to establish and build new car bridge bases in the Libyan city of Benghazi have revealed an important archaeological site.
The archaeological site includes ancient tombs carved in rock, estimated from 515 BC to 525 BC, and the city was called at that time “Eosperides or Husperides” in an area known as “Al-Salmani”, where it has been identified since 1978 among the largest areas of the city under which prominent archaeological treasures dating back to this period of time in Libya are hidden.
The archaeological discovery sparked a wide controversy on social media, with some calling for stopping the project of implementing the bridge or diverting its course to protect the archaeological site, while others saw that the interest of building the bridge outweighs the importance of protecting some ancient graves.
The new archaeological site is believed to contain the entrance to the tomb and remains of the extinct ancient city of Eosperides and includes five graves of varying size and completely intact, but no remains of human bones, sarcophagi or archaeological remains.
Amin al-Aril, head of the Benghazi Reconstruction Committee’s Roads and Bridges Committee, said the site was discovered during excavations of the bases of the new bridge, and that the search for graves took five full days.
Regarding the controversy over the protection of the archaeological site, Ariel stressed that the site does not hinder the bridge project and can be protected without the need to fill it, as it was handed over to monitor the antiquities of Benghazi to determine its fate.
The discovery of this archaeological site came at a time when the city is facing more challenges due to development and reconstruction work.
The site of the “ancient lower city” is one of the most important sites dating back to the beginning of Benghazi, and it faces the same threat from the development work.
Concerns remain about the protection of cultural heritage in Benghazi, with the Benghazi Antiquities Monitor demanding an end to work that threatens archaeological sites, warning of the danger of bulldozing the national heritage.
Eosperides, the ancient Greek city, is a rich area of antiquities and faces constant challenges to preserve its cultural and historical heritage in light of the difficult political and economic conditions in Libya.
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