Le violenze che dieci hanno fa hanno sconvolto la Libia e il susseguente caos avevano fatto temere per la sopravvivenza delle rovine di una delle più ricche e importanti città dell'Impero romano: Leptis Magna. Tanto che l’UNESCO, temendo il peggio, aveva inserito l'area archeologica e altri 4 siti libici nella lista del patrimonio dell’umanità in pericolo. I resti della città che raggiunse il suo massimo splendore all'inizio del terzo secolo, quando imperatore era Settimio Severo che a Leptis era nato, non hanno però per fortuna subito danni o attacchi.
La vera minaccia oggi è la trascuratezza. Mancano le risorse e il sostegno del governo. I pochi visitatori sono tutti libici. Ma le potenzialità turistiche del sito non possono più essere ignorate.
Leptis Magna, dicono gli archeologi, vale almeno 10 pozzi di petrolio.
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