Libya’s National Museum, also known as the Red Castle Museum (As-Saraya Al-Hamra), has reopened in Tripoli for the first time since the 2011 revolution that ended Muammar el-Qaddafi’s rule. The museum, the largest in North Africa, closed at the onset of Libya’s military instability during the Arab Spring. Its 10,000-square-meter gallery houses artifacts spanning prehistory through Greek, Roman, and Islamic periods, including millennia-old mummies. Renovations began in 2023, with a full public reopening scheduled for early 2026; currently admission is limited to students.
The reopening marks a significant cultural and political milestone, signaling Libya’s institutional rebuilding after years of conflict. Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbiebah called it “a live testimony that Libya is building its institutions.” The museum’s revival is part of broader efforts to recover looted heritage—21 artifacts have been repatriated from France, Switzerland, and the U.S., with negotiations ongoing for more from Spain and Austria. It also underscores Libya’s ambition to revitalize its cultural landscape, including five UNESCO World Heritage sites, one of which, Ghadames, was recently removed from the at-risk list.