Museum housing Libya's ancient treasures reopens for first time since 2011 uprising that toppled Gadhafi

Tripoli's Red Castle museum has reopened for the first time since the 2011 uprising that toppled Moammar Gadhafi, unveiling a trove of treasures that span millennia, from ancient mummies to relics of Libya's turbulent and fascinating history.

Tripoli's Red Castle museum has reopened for the first time since the 2011 uprising that toppled Moammar Gadhafi, unveiling a trove of treasures that span millennia, from ancient mummies to relics of Libya's turbulent and fascinating history.

Formerly known as As-Saraya Al-Hamra, the fortress that houses the museum has long been a central landmark in Libya’s capital, Tripoli. It houses an extensive collection of artifacts tracing 5,000 years of history, from prehistoric times through to Libya’s Roman, Greek and Islamic eras.

Collections include Islamic art and architecture as well as objects from Italian colonial rule, World War II and Libya's independence, with galleries dedicated to the prehistoric period and ancient Libyan tribes, such as the Garamantes.

“The reopening of the National Museum is not just a cultural moment but a live testimony that Libya is building its institutions,” Abdulhamid al-Dbiebah, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, said at a ceremony on Friday awash with fireworks at the site.

The museum closed in February 2011 during the NATO-backed uprising against Gadhafi, as anti-government protesters in the northeastern city of Benghazi began calling for the leader to step down and for the release of political prisoners. As protests intensified, demonstrators took control of Benghazi and unrest spread to Tripoli, with the Libyan government using lethal force against demonstrators.