Libya’s Naked Lady Offers Bronzed Image of Defiance to Islamists
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From her perch in Tripoli fronting the Mediterranean, the naked woman and her gazelle have been silent witnesses to much of Libya’s past century: colonialism, monarchy, dictatorship and post-revolutionary unrest.
The bronze statue, with her back to the sea and an outstretched arm reaching toward the animal’s neck, is described as a symbol of unity by Libyans like Mustafa Turjman, head of research at Libya’s Antiquities Department. It’s also become a target for Islamists who have already taken aim at shrines and monuments across the country.