By Sami Zaptia.
London, 11 April 2021:
A celebration was held yesterday in Benghazi to mark the completion of the maintenance and restoration work for the headquarters of the former Barqa (Cyrenaica) Legislative Council, converting it into a modern digital library. The original building had been destroyed during the Second World War.
The ceremony was attended Gerardo Noto by a number of local dignitaries, but most notably by representatives of the families of Martyrs who had died resisting the Italian colonialist invasion, head by the family of Omar Al-Mukhtar. Gerardo Noto, head of UNDP Libya, a representative of UNDP Libya were also present and head of Benghazi Municipality were also present.
The project and building has huge historic and symbolic importance as this month a hundred years ago it opened as the first Arab parliament and in 1931 it was used to hold the mock trial held by the Italian colonialists of Omar Al-Mukhtar.
The project is funded by the United Nations Development Fund in Libya and supervised by the Benghazi Municipal Projects Office and the Historic Cities Authority, Benghazi.
Building’s historical role is commemorated
The building will commemorate through various images, models and information the role it played in Libya’s history, including the hall where Omar Mukhtar had been sentenced to death by hanging, while the rest of the building will be a modern public library.
