The Managing Libya’s Cultural Heritage (MaLiCH) project is a collaborative initiative led by King’s College London (KCL) in partnership with the Ghadames City Promotion and Development Authority (GCPDA), the Department of Antiquities (DoA), Nile Palace NGO (Bayt Alyakaniya for Heritage and Arts), and various Libyan and UK-based heritage institutions. The project supports Libya’s cultural heritage by focusing on heritage conservation, capacity building, and strategic management planning. It is funded by the ALIPH Foundation—the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage.
The award-winning Ghadames Visiting Centre project was launched in 2020 as part of the Managing Libya’s Cultural Heritage (MaLiCH) initiative. Its primary goal was to support efforts to remove the Old Town of Ghadames from the UNESCO World Heritage in Danger list, where it had been placed in 2016. The wider MaLiCH project focused on three key heritage sites in Libya: the archaeological sites of Sabratha and Lepcis Magna, and the Old Town of Ghadames.
A Community-Driven Conservation Model
In Ghadames, the project aimed to rehabilitate a severely deteriorated and partially collapsed mud-brick structure located in the UNESCO- inscribed Old Town. This restoration was not only about saving a historic building, but also about giving it new life as a community space. The building was transformed into the Ghadames Visiting Centre- a cultural hub designed to host exhibitions, craft demonstrations, training programmes, and community events.
The restoration relied on traditional building techniques and locally sourced materials. These included palm trunks for structural support and architectural details, handmade mud bricks, natural lime wash, and “Zanjafour,” a decorative colourful mixture applied to interior walls. Women artisans played a key role in recreating the traditional wall paintings, using the same materials and methods passed down through generations.
The team undertook careful documentation of local construction knowledge, with particular attention to Zanjafour as a fragile yet vital expression of domestic artistry. This documentation helped ensure authenticity and supported the transmission of intangible skills to younger generations by supporting training opportunities. The project, thus, wove together conservation and cultural continuity, creating a living space rooted in the community’s identity.
The idea for the project emerged in 2019 through early discussions between King’s College London (KCL) and Libyan partners, particularly the Ghadames City Promotion and Development Authority (GCPDA) and the permanent Libyan delegation of Libya UNESCO in Paris. It was developed collaboratively with the support of the Nile Palace team in Cairo. The project was funded by ALIPH (International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage), with additional logistical and technical support from Libyan authorities, local NGOs, and skilled craftsmen and contractors. Following initial documentation and mapping of the Ghadames World Heritage Site, the team identified a partially collapsed historic building as a suitable location for the visiting centre. A tendering process was coordinated by the GCPDA and KCL to select a contractor to work closely with the team on the rehabilitation.
The building’s condition and historical context were assessed using archival materials and old photographs. Architects from all involved teams- local and international- collaboratively developed the rehabilitation proposal, ensuring it reflected both the historical significance of the structure and the documented evidence. The project follows a professional philosophy rooted in minimal intervention, sustainability, and community participation. It respects original materials and local knowledge, ensuring the community retains ownership. Socially, it empowers women artisans, revitalises endangered crafts like Zanjafour wall painting, and provides economic opportunities. Nationally, it contributes to heritage protection, and cultural continuity. The project team carefully documented these construction and decorative techniques, with special attention to Zanjafour as a fragile but vibrant form of artistic expression. Its reintroduction into the restored centre helped reinforce the building’s authenticity and gave visibility to women's heritage knowledge, traditionally passed on within domestic spaces.
The jury of ICCROM award recognised the project’s unique integration of conservation and community. What stood out was its use of traditional techniques in a climate-adaptive way, combined with UAV/digital documentation, participatory design, and its transformation of conservation into a cultural and social resource. Unlike many conservation projects, this initiative did not merely focus on restoring physical fabric. It foregrounded community-led heritage documentation, co-designed future uses of the site, and planned long-term management with local ownership. The blend of remote coordination (due to COVID-19), high-level research, and grassroots implementation made it particularly innovative.
Aerial view of the Visiting Centre Ghadames
Heritage as a Catalyst for Social Impact
The project mobilised over 50 people from diverse backgrounds: local builders, engineers, architects, craftspeople, women’s organisations, academics, and cultural activists. Roles were divided into working groups- traditional crafts, history, documentation- ensuring skills were used efficiently and responsibilities were collectively owned. Local youth were mentored and trained, ensuring intergenerational knowledge transfer.
Challenges included navigating ownership issues, structural instability, and the impact of COVID-19. Remote coordination and fragile site conditions delayed progress. However, community goodwill and strong partnerships made recruitment and implementation relatively smooth. Looking ahead, the project will focus on activating the Visitor Centre with cultural programmes that promote traditional crafts, strengthen women’s involvement, and encourage everyday use of the Old Town by local community.
Key Lessons
One of the most important lessons was recognising the time and complexity involved in heritage documentation and aligning diverse stakeholders. Early, inclusive, and locally grounded planning proved essential for long-term success and sustainability. Conservation must be rooted in the local context and guided by shared cultural values—overlooking community input or undervaluing traditional knowledge would have compromised both quality and relevance.
In this project, professional excellence was defined by more than technical precision. It meant staying true to conservation ethics while delivering meaningful social and cultural impact. This was reflected in the building’s structural integrity, environmental sensitivity, transparent documentation, and the active empowerment of local communities.
Our advice: start with the community. Build trust before blueprints. Centre local expertise, maintain open communication, and view conservation as a platform for broader social change. Adaptability, humility, and long-term vision are key to creating heritage projects that endure.