Cyrenaica
Philip Kenrick
Silphium Books/Society for Libyan Studies, £19.99
ISBN 978-1900971140
The last guide to this part of Libya was published in 1945, and implored: ‘Please assist the work of conservation by not damaging or defacing the monuments, which are the heritage of the civilised world.’ Sadly, the advice was not always heeded. At Qasr al-Hunayah, for example, recent military activity included the bulldozing of features deemed a ‘security risk’. But there is still much to see, and the author has visited just about all of it. He presents detailed but succinct descriptions of sites – from prehistoric, Greek and Roman, through to Byzantine and early Islamic – and interprets obscure or contested features with clarity and knowledgeable insight, setting them in historical context, often spiced with references to myths and legends and reassessments of evidence gathered by earlier archaeologists, such as Richard Goodchild. By using local guides and talking with local farmers, who are both proud and protective of the rich heritage on their land, Kenrick accessed many remains previously unrecorded, oft n across difficult terrain. After the historical introduction and before a comprehensive glossary, the book is divided into geographical sections – Cyrene and Apollonia each having a dedicated chapter – and illustrated by colour photos, clear maps, and exquisitely drawn ground plans. It may not be the best time to visit Libya, but Philip Kenrick can take you on an inspiring tour of Cyrenaica without you leaving your armchair. His Tripolitania guidebook has been translated into Arabic. I hope the same will happen to this, so that Libyans can read about their country’s rich heritage in their own language.