By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 30 October 2013:
At a ceremony held at the Greek embassy in Tripoli last night, Libyan Professor of Archaeology . . .[restrict]and Ancient Languages Dr Fadel Ali Mohamed was honoured with the Golden Order of the Phoenix.
The decoration is conferred by Greek President Carolos Papoulias and was presented last night on his behalf by Greece’s Ambassador in Tripoli, Kyriakos Amiridis for “his magnificent contribution in the research and study of history and archaeology and for preserving the findings of Cyrene”.
Ambassador Amiridis noted in his opening address that “the Arabs helped save the Greek language through researching it and saving it during their civilization”. He further added that “Greece was never a colonizing state, but always a civilizing state”.
Stressing the importance and long term influence of culture and cultural sites such as those that are being encroached upon in the eastern Libyan archaeological Greek site of Cyrene, ambassador Amiridis noted that “oil will finish but culture will last forever”.
Moreover he noted that the decoration depicts the ancient Greek mythical bird the “phoenix” reborn from its ashes, symbolizing the strength of human being to be reborn from difficulties and become stronger. He hoped that such symbolism will be reflected positively in Libya in order that it has the renaissance it deserves.
Professor Mohamed was curator of Antiquities in Cyrene for eight years and after the February 17th Revolution became Head of Department of Antiquities as well as Professor of ancient Greek Language at the University of Omar Al Mukhtar in Beida and Derna. He has published numerous books in English and Arabic about Cyrene, Ptolemais, Apollonia, Pentapolis, and the Greek language.
He is considered the predominant person responsible for the preservation and promotion of Cyrene and its museum, which is considered the largest archaeological site outside Greece on the southern Mediterranean coast. [/restrict]
