Antiquities Authority confirms that transferring statue of Septimius Severus from Al-Khoms to Tripoli is legal.

Tripoli, February 17, 2025 (LANA) - The Libyan Antiquities Authority confirmed that the process of transferring the statue of Emperor "Septimius Severus" from the city of Al-Khoms to Tripoli was carried out in accordance with the laws in force in the Libyan state.

The Authority explained in a statement on its Facebook page that the statue is a copy of the artworks representing historical figures that decorated Martyrs Square in Tripoli since its construction in the thirties of the last century before it was removed and stored in the Authority's warehouses in Tripoli, noting that it submitted a proposal to the local authorities regarding the installation of the statue at the entrance to the city of Leptis Magna before transferring it again to the garden of the new museum in the archaeological city.

The Authority added that it had informed the Mayor of Khoms of all the details of the issue more than a month ago and had coordinated with the Mayor of Tripoli in particular, taking all measures related to security aspects and communicating with the security directorates.

The Authority added that work is underway to study all aspects related to the return of this statue to its original location in Martyrs Square in the capital, Tripoli, due to the symbolism it holds for all Libyans.

The residents of Khoms had issued a statement confirming their rejection of the transfer of the statue to Tripoli, announcing the opening of an official report to stop the transfer process.

=Lana=