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Libyan History Page
In Ancient Times
Libya was one of the focal
points of the ancient world, playing host throughout history
to the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals,
and Byzantines. The Greeks and Romans left impressive ruins at
Cyrene, Leptis Magna, and Sabratha. The Roman ruins at Leptis
Magna are widely renowned as the best outside Italy.
Libya's best ancient sites:
Leptis Magna,
Cyrene
Berbers and
Tuaregs
The Greek name 'Libya' has its origins
in
the Egyptian word 'Lebu', which referred to the Indigenous
Berber people of the region. Some of their ancestors still
lead a traditional desert lifestyle today. The Tuareg are the
indigenes of the Sahara. Their origins are not fully
understood, and 'Tuareg' is thought to be a name bestowed on
them by Arabs. They have been known as the 'blue people of the
Sahara', due to the custom of wearing blue headscarves which
can stain the skin with indigo dye.
Al Muheet can
take you to the Libyan Sahara to meet Berber and Tuareg people
in their traditional lands.
Libya's best Berber
towns:
Awjila, Gharyan,
Qasr al Haj
Libya's best Tuareg towns:
Ghadames, Ghat
Islam
The Arabs conquered Libya in the 7th
century
AD, and in subsequent centuries most of the population adopted
the Arabic language and culture and later, Islam. Libya
remained under the control of Islamic rulers (from Persia,
Egypt and Morocco) until the early 16th century. Successive
invasions of Libya have not displaced the people's strong
Islamic faith.
Libya's best Islamic sites:
Zliten, Ghadames,
Awjila, Derna, Al Bayda, Al Faiediy Ah Jalu, Zletin,
Sebha
and more.
Ottoman
Rule
Discovering the coast of Libya to be run by pirates (notably
Barbarossa, or Red Beard), the Ottoman Turks in 1551 decided
to occupy the coast of the Maghreb (Algeria, Tunisia and
Tripolitania), leaving the rest of the country, for the time
being, in the hands of the Moroccan Awlad Suleiman dynasty.
Throughout the next three centuries, the Ottomans furthered
their claim across the Sahara, launching campaigns against the
rulers and tribes of Libya. The Ottomans faced insurgency from
the Tuareg and Berber tribes and the religious followers of
The Grand Sanusi throughout its rule of Libya, but it
maintained a tenuous grip over the country, the 20th century
hailing the end of the Ottoman reign.
Libya's best
Ottoman sites: Scattered throughout
Tripoli and
Benghazi
Italian
Occupation
Deciding to enter the race for
African
colonies, Italy invaded Libya in October 1911, under the guise
of liberating the Libyan people from oppressive Ottoman rule.
Unimpressed by the obvious ruse, the Libyan people mounted a
massive revolt, with battles occurring across the country. The
Ottomans, concerned with more important matters, ceded Libya
to the Italians. By 1914 Italy had secured control of
Tripolitania but continued to do battle with Sanusi rebels
from Cyrenaica and the Fezzan. During WW1 the resistance
escalated to the point that, in 1921, Mussolini was compelled
to launch a campaign to 're-conquer' Libya. This was the era
of Libya's modern hero, Omar al-Mukhtar, who was the leader of
the rebellion during the 1920's. Although he was captured
and
killed in 1931, Mukhtar's followers continued to fight until
1937, when Italian control had overtaken all of Libya. This
was short lived, however, as Libya became embroiled in
WWII.
Libya's Best Italian sites: Scattered throughout
Tripoli and
Benghazi
WWII
Libya was one of the most fiercely contested territories of
the war, the fight for Tobruk igniting the hearts and
imaginations of generations to come. Fighting alongside the
Allied forces, the Libyan rebels served to secure victory.
Britain established a care-taker administration, with France
controlling the Fezzan from its stronghold in southern
Algeria. United Nations talks revealed a promise Britain had
made to rebel leaders to ensure Libyan independence after the
war - in light of this, the UN, in November 1949, approved the
formation of an independent state. The Libyans, for the first
time, were free, and crowned their first King in front of the
National Assembly in 1951. Libya was the first country to
achieve independence through the United Nations and one of the
first former European colonies in Africa to gain
independence.
Libya's best WWII historic sites:
Tobruk
Modern
Libya
Centuries of oppressive rule, war and neglect meant the new
ruler faced many challenges in re-building the shattered
country, but treaties with Britain, America, France and,
eventually, Italy, allowed the Libyan government to progress.
In 1959, oil was discovered in Libya and the direction of the
new nation changed completely. The subsequent years saw
economic growth and social and political upheaval, as
successive governments struggled to cope with the rapid rate
of change.
Modern Libya:
Tripoli,
Benghazi
Gaddafi and
onward...
A decade of disquiet amongst the
Libyan
people meant the military coup on September 1st, 1969, was
generally supported. The Revolutionary Command Council took
control of the government and installed the young and
charismatic Mu'ammar Gaddafi as leader. Although Gaddafi's
rule has experienced its fair share of controversy, a recent
shift in the political status and the lifting of United
Nations sanctions has seen Libya rejoin the international
community and become a fashionable tourist
destination.
For more information on Libya, including climate, religion,
population and language, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya
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Ruins of Cyrene
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Ancient Desert village
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Old Medina
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Temple of Isis, Sabratha
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Bir Hakim French Memorial
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German memorial
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Traditional House,
Benghazi
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