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93-601: The territory of the two colonies was sometimes referred to as "Italian Libya" or Italian North Africa ( Africa Settentrionale Italiana , or ASI). Both names were also used after their unification, with Italian Libya becoming the official name of the newly combined colony. In 1923, indigenous rebels associated with the Senussi Order organized the Libyan resistance movement against Italian settlement in Libya. The rebellion

186-583: A board of chief magistrates ( ephors ) and a council of elders ( gerontes ). From 324 to 322 BC, the city supported the Spartan adventurer Thibron , who attempted to establish his own kingdom in Cyrenaica, but was defeated. The city came under the control of Ptolemy I and formed part of the breakaway kingdom of Magas of Cyrene after 276 BC. In 246 BC, during the power struggle following Magas' death, his daughter Berenice married Ptolemy III , bringing

279-588: A celebration of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the African Union in Addis Ababa. Gaddafi banned the Senussi order, forced the Senussi circles underground, and systematically persecuted prominent Senussi figures, in an effort to remove Sufi symbols and to silence voices of the Senussi tradition from Libya's public life. The remaining Senussi tribes were severely restricted in their actions by

372-402: A consequence, there was a large economic development effort in the second half of the 1930s. Italy carried out massive investment in the infrastructure of Libya (the purpose was to develop the economy for the benefit of Greater Italy ). In Benghazi -for the first time in Cyrenaica's History- the first manufacturing installations were created: some industries were created in 'Bengasi italiana' in

465-642: A few Italian -related families, left from the colonial times before World War II . The overwhelming majority of Libyans in Benghazi were of Berber descent until the arrival of Bani Salim (Arabic tribe). In the 11th century, the Sa'adi tribes from the Banu Sulyam migrated to Cyrenaica; each sub-tribe from the Sa'adi historically controlled a section of Cyrenaica. Benghazi and its surrounding areas were controlled by Barghathi tribe. In modern times, Benghazi has seen

558-820: A long steady retreat westward passing through Benghazi for the final time. On 20 November, Benghazi was captured by the British Eighth Army and thereafter held by the British. In August 1943 from Benina airport of Benghazi started the US attack on the Ploiești oil refineries with 178 B-24 bombers (called Operation Tidal Wave ), after an Italian " Arditi " paratroopers attack that destroyed some Allied aircraft in June 1943. Heavily bombed in World War II , Benghazi

651-616: A lot of Libyans from different parts of the country move into the city, especially since the Kingdom era. Many came to Benghazi from Misrata . Thus Benghazi has always been seen as a welcoming city, a city which the local Bedouins refer to as ' Benghazi rabayit al thayih ' which can be translated as, 'Benghazi raises the lost', as many immigrants who arrived from the Western Maghreb or the former Al Andalus came with little money, clothes or food and were looked after very generously by

744-589: A new danger to Senussi territories had arisen from the French colonial empire , who were advancing from the French Congo towards the western and southern borders of the Wadai Empire. The Senussi kept them from advancing north of Chad . In 1902, Muhammad Idris died and was succeeded by his nephew, Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi , but his adherents in the deserts bordering Egypt maintained for years that Muhammad

837-585: A period of extensive development and modernization, particularly in the second half of the 1930s under the Italian Libya colony. The city changed hands several times during World War II and was heavily damaged in the process. After the war Benghazi was rebuilt and became the co-capital of the newly independent Kingdom of Libya . Following the 1969 coup d'état by Muammar Gaddafi , Benghazi lost its capital status and all government offices relocated to Tripoli . On 15 February 2011 , an uprising against

930-531: A permanent ceasefire led by a unitary government in 2020. Benghazi remains a centre of Libyan commerce, industry, transport and culture, and one of the three largest cities in Libya with Tripoli and Misrata . It continues to hold institutions and organizations normally associated with a capital city, including several national government buildings as well as the National Library of Libya . Archaeological evidence shows that ancient Greeks settled on

1023-431: A rich seasoning and as a medicine. The coinage suggests that the city must have enjoyed some autonomy from Cyrene in the early 5th century BC, when the issues of Euesperides had their own types with the legend EU (ES), distinct from those of Cyrene. The city was in hostile territory and was surrounded by inhospitable tribes. The Greek historian Thucydides mentions a siege of the city in 414 BC, by Libyans who were probably

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1116-485: A safe refuge for himself against the resentment of the people of Cyrene. This proved ineffective, since when the king fled to Euesperides during the anticipated revolution (around 440 BC), he was assassinated, thus terminating the almost 200-year rule of the Battiad dynasty . An inscription found there and dated around the middle of the 4th century BC states that the city had a constitution similar to that of Cyrene , with

1209-460: A shield to counter pressures generated by the more progressive circles in North Africa, especially from Egypt." Resistance towars Idris' rule began to build in 1965 due to a combination of factors: the discovery of oil in the region, government corruption and ineptness, and Arab nationalism. On September 1, 1969, a military coup led by Muammar Gaddafi marked the end of Idris’ reign. The king

1302-566: A strategic port location, one that was too useful to be ignored by the Ottomans. In 1578, the Turks conquered Benghazi and it was ruled from Tripoli by the Karamanlis from 1711 to 1835; it then passed under direct Ottoman rule until 1911. Greek and Italian sponge fishermen worked its coastal waters. In 1858, and again in 1874, Benghazi was devastated by bubonic plague . In 1911, Benghazi

1395-470: A strong sense of family life in the city; most teenagers and young adults live at home until they get married, though that is changing in recent years. Many Muslims in Benghazi adhere to the traditional Maliki school of religious law; however, it is much less so than in the past decades. Benghazi is said to be the most “liberal” city out of all Libya. The Senussi order from which the royal dynasty sprang has traditionally enjoyed strong support in Benghazi and

1488-497: Is a reasonable amount of ethnic diversity in Benghazi. The people of eastern Libya, Benghazi included, have in the past always been of predominantly Arab descent. In recent times, however, there has been an influx of African immigrants into Benghazi. There are also many Egyptian immigrants in Benghazi. A small Greek community also exists in Benghazi. The Greek island of Crete is a short distance from Benghazi, and many families in Benghazi today bear Cretan surnames. There are even

1581-499: Is also a decommissioned cathedral church (1929–1939; closed 1977; currently abandoned). For Egyptian Copts , there is a Coptic Orthodox church (which was formerly the grand synagogue) with two serving priests . Jews have lived in Benghazi, as they did elsewhere in Libya , from Roman times until 1967 when most were airlifted out after a series of riots in the years after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . However, there are no Jews remaining in Libya today. The oldest university in Libya

1674-585: Is the University of Libya , founded by royal decree in 1955. It was initially housed in the royal Al Manar Palace before receiving its own campus in 1968. It was later split and became known as University of Benghazi . There are some private universities such as Libyan International Medical University . Education in Benghazi, as throughout Libya, is compulsory and paid entirely by taxpayers. Compulsory education continues until ninth grade . There are many public primary and secondary schools scattered throughout

1767-700: Is the second-most-populous city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica , with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023. Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean , Benghazi is also a major seaport. A Greek colony named Euesperides had existed in the area from around 525 BC. In the 3rd century BC, it was relocated and refounded as the Ptolemaic city of Berenice. Berenice prospered under

1860-519: The 2011 Libyan revolution . The image of Omar Mukhtar and his popular quote "We win or we die" resonated in Tripoli and in the country as Libyans rose up to oust Gaddafi. In July 2011 The Globe and Mail contributor Graeme Smith reported that one of the anti-Gaddafi brigades took the name of "Omar Mukhtar Brigade". Stephen Schwarz, executive director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism , reflected on

1953-572: The Ansar forces of Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi advancing from Darfur were stopped on the frontier of the Wadai Empire , Sultan Yusuf proving firm in his adherence to the Senussi teachings. Muhammed al-Mahdi's growing fame made the Ottoman regime uneasy and drew unwelcome attention. In most of Tripoli and Benghazi his authority was greater than that of the Ottoman governors. In 1889 the sheikh

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2046-798: The German and Ottoman Empires, played a minor part in the World War I , during the Senussi campaign , utilising guerrilla warfare against the Italian colonization of Libya and the British in Egypt from November 1915 until February 1917, led by Sayyid Ahmad, and in the Sudan from March to December 1916, led by Ali Dinar, the Sultan of Darfur. In 1916, the British sent an expeditionary force against them known as

2139-603: The German Africa Corps , on 4 April. It was taken again during Operation Crusader by the British on 24 December only to change hands again on 29 January 1942 in the Rommel Afrika Corps' push to Egypt. During the fateful Battle of El Alamein –106 kilometres (66 miles) from Alexandria , Egypt–British troops led by general Bernard Montgomery again defeated the Afrika Corps which then made

2232-476: The Gulf of Sidra , lies a little southwest of the site of the ancient Greek city of Berenice or Berenicis or Bernici . That city was traditionally founded in 446 BC (different sources give different dates like 347 BC or 249 BC ), by a brother of the king of Cyrene , but got the name Berenice only when it was refounded in the 3rd century BC under the patronage of Berenice ( Berenike ), the daughter of Magas , king of Cyrene, and wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes ,

2325-765: The Libyan Army attempted to score a decisive victory against the NTC by attacking Benghazi, but was forced back by local resistance and intervention from the French Air Force authorized by UNSC Resolution 1973 to protect civilians, allowing the rebellion to continue. By 2014, a second civil war broke out in Libya between the House of Representatives and the Government of National Accord , with parts of Libya split between Tobruk- and Tripoli-based governance until

2418-406: The Libyan monarchy . The movement remained active despite sustained persecution by Gaddafi's government. The Senussi spirit and legacy continue to be prominent in today's Libya, mostly in Cyrenaica . The Senussi order has been historically closed to Europeans and outsiders, leading reports of their beliefs and practices to vary immensely. Though it is possible to gain some insight from the lives of

2511-454: The Persian expedition to Cyrenaica in c. 515 BC, where it is stated that the punitive force sent by the satrap of Egypt conquered Cyrenaica as far west as Euesperides. The oldest coins minted in the city date back to 480 BC. One side of those coins has an engraving of Delphi. The other side is an engraving of a silphium plant, once the symbol of trade from Cyrenaica because of its use as

2604-630: The Senussi Campaign led by Major General William Peyton . According to Wavell and McGuirk, Western Force was first led by General Wallace and later by General Hodgson. Italy took Libya from the Ottomans in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911. In 1922, Italian Fascist leader Benito Mussolini launched his infamous Riconquista of Libya — the Roman Empire having done the original conquering 2000 years before. The Senussi led

2697-464: The Spanish flu . The concentration camps were dismantled after 1934 when the fascist regime obtained full control of the area and started a policy of assimilation of the local Arab community. This policy was so successful that in 1940 there were two colonial military divisions of Arab Libyans. In the late 1930s, Cyrenaica was populated by more than 20,000 Italian colonists , mainly around the coast. As

2790-620: The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez , then traveled in the Sahara, preaching a purifying reform of the faith in Tunisia and Tripoli , gaining many adherents, and then moved to Cairo to study at Al-Azhar University in 1824. Al-Senussi was critical of the government of Muhammad Ali of Egypt . The pious scholar was forceful in his criticism of the Egyptian Ulama . Not surprisingly, he

2883-527: The sheikh (leader of the Zawiya) and his Shura council being transferred from Libya with their family which sometimes rounded out to a hundred transferred into those regions under Senussi control. This system remained even up to the period of the Kingdom of Libya , until it was ended by Gaddafi . The Sufi heritage and spirit remains prominent today, and its sentiment and symbols have inspired many during

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2976-607: The "Sufi foundation" of Libya's revolution in his August 2011 piece for the Huffington Post. Schwarz observed that Libya continued to stand "as one of the distinguished centers of a Sufism opposed both to unquestioning acceptance of Islamic law and to scriptural absolutism, and dedicated to freedom and progress." He wrote: "With the fall of the dictatorship, it will now be necessary to analyze whether and how Libya's Sufi past can positively influence its future." In August 2012, hardliner Salafi extremists attacked and destroyed

3069-468: The 3rd century AD and during the Persian attacks; in 642–643 -when was conquered by the Arabs and partially destroyed- it had dwindled to an insignificant village among magnificent historic ruins. In its more prosperous period, Berenice became a Christian bishopric . The first of its bishops whose name is recorded in extant documents is Ammon, to whom Dionysius of Alexandria wrote in about 260. Dathes

3162-486: The Arabian Peninsula, working with the local government to manage security in Benghazi. U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens , Foreign Service Information Management Officer (IMO) Sean Smith , and CIA contractors and former Navy SEALs Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty were killed during a series of raids, commencing at nightfall and continuing into the next morning. Ten others were injured. Following

3255-652: The British Eighth Army in North Africa against the German and Italian forces. Ultimately, the Senussis proved decisive in the British defeat of both Italy and Germany in North Africa in 1943. As the Senussi were leading the resistance, the Italians closed Senussi Khanqahs, arrested sheikhs , and confiscated mosques and their land. The Libyans fought the Italians until 1943 , with some 250,000 of them dying in

3348-463: The British, which led to two agreements with the Italian rulers, one of which brought most of inland Cyrenaica under the de facto control of the Senussis. The resulting Accord of al-Rajma , consolidated through further negotiations with the Italians, earned Idris the title of Emir of Cyrenaica, albeit new tensions which compromised that delicate balance emerged shortly after. Soon Cyrenaica became

3441-583: The Cyrenaica. For Muslims, there are many mosques throughout Benghazi; the oldest and best known (such as the Atiq and Osman mosques) are located in and around the medina . There is also a small Christian community in the city. The Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Benghazi 's Franciscan Church of the Immaculate Conception serves Benghazi's Latin Catholic community of roughly 4,000; there

3534-668: The Grand Sahara of Africa in 1897. The Senussi had Somali contacts in Berbera and consistently tried to rally Somalis to join their movement alongside their rivals, the Mahdists . Sultan Nur Ahmed Aman of the Habr Yunis , himself a learned sheikh , regularly received Senussi emissaries and housed them. Sultan Nur would go on to play a critical role in the subsequent Somali Dervish Movement starting in 1899. By this time

3627-677: The Grand Sanussi ( Arabic : السنوسي الكبير as-Sanūssiyy al-Kabīr ), the Algerian Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi . During World War I the Senussis fought against both Italy and Britain . During World War II , the Senussis provided support to the British Eighth Army in North Africa against Nazi and Fascist Italian forces. The Grand Senussi's grandson became King Idris I of Libya in 1951. The 1969 Libyan revolution led by Muammar Gaddafi overthrew him, ending

3720-475: The Libyan Government of National Unity: the eastern coast, Jabal Al-Akhdar, Al-Hizam, Benghazi , Al-Wahat, Al-Kufra, Al-Khaleej, Al-Margab, Tripoli, Al-Jafara, Al-Zawiya, West Coast, Gheryan, Zintan, Nalut, Sabha, Al-Wadi, and Murzuq Basin. Benghazi Baladiyah is divided into 32 Basic People's Congress administrative divisions, in which the responsibilities of the corresponding political units of

3813-509: The Libyans with adequate education until Balbo: the Italian population (about 15% of the total population) had 81 elementary schools in 1938, while the Libyans (more than 75% of total population) had 97. In Cirenaica were founded -for the Italian colonists- the rural villages of Baracca, Maddalena, Oberdan, D’Annunzio and Battisti in 1938, successively Mameli and Filzi in 1939. For Libyan families (who contributed with many soldiers enrolled in

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3906-657: The Nasamones: Euesperides was saved by the unexpected arrival of the Spartan general Gylippus and his fleet, who were blown to Libya by contrary winds on their way to Sicily . One of the Cyrenean kings whose fate is connected with the city is Arcesilaus IV . The king used his chariot victory at the Pythian Games of 462 BC to attract new settlers to Euesperides, where Arcesilaus hoped to create

3999-740: The Qadiriyya divided, and in 1835 he founded his first monastery or Zawiya , at Abu Qubays near Mecca. After being forced to leave by the Wahhabis , he returned to Libya in 1843 where in the mountains near Sidi Rafaa' ( Bayda ) he built the Zawiya Bayda "White Monastery". There he was supported by the local tribes and the Sultan of Wadai and his connections extended across the Maghreb . The Grand Senussi did not tolerate fanaticism and forbade

4092-603: The Romans, and after the 3rd century AD it superseded Cyrene and Barca as the centre of Cyrenaica. The city went into decline during the Byzantine period and had already been reduced to a small town before its conquest by the Arabs . After around four centuries of peaceful Ottoman rule , in 1911, Italy captured Benghazi and the rest of Tripolitania from the Ottoman Empire . Under Italian rule , Benghazi witnessed

4185-537: The Senussi sheikhs further details are difficult to obtain. Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi (1787–1859), the founder of the order, was born in Algeria near Mostaganem and was named al-Senussi after a venerated Muslim teacher. He was a member of the Awlad Sidi Abdalla tribe and was a Sharif . In addition to Islamic sciences , al-Senussi learned science and chivalry in his upbringing. He studied at

4278-436: The Senussi message was particularly suited to the character of the Cyrenaican Bedouins. In 1855 Senussi moved farther from direct Ottoman surveillance to Jaghbub , a small oasis some 30 miles northwest of Siwa . He died in 1860, leaving two sons, Mahommed Sherif (1844–95) and Mohammed al-Mahdi, who succeeded him. Muhammad al-Mahdi ibn Muhammad al-Senussi (1845 – 30 May 1902) was fourteen when his father died, after which he

4371-439: The Tibesti was cordoned off. On 19 May 2012, residents of Benghazi voted in historic local elections ; this was the first time such elections have been held in the city since the 1960s, and turnout was high. On 11 September 2012, the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi was attacked by a heavily armed group of 125–150 gunmen, whose trucks bore the logo of Ansar al-Sharia , a group of Islamist militants, also known as Al Qaeda in

4464-487: The beginning of the civil war to study the Senussi history and legacy. In fact, evidence of the Senussi presence and activism was recorded throughout the 1980s. Vocal anti-Gaddafi resistance emerged among the former Senussi tribes in Cyrenaica in the 1990s, which Gaddafi violently suffocated with his troops. In 1992, Crown Prince Hasan as-Senussi died. The leadership of the Senussi order passed to his second son, Mohammed el Senussi, whom Hasan had appointed as his successor to

4557-410: The city of Benghazi in a major offensive , but were forced back the next day when NATO forces began implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 . On 1 June, explosives were detonated in a car near the Tibesti Hotel , with a rebel spokesman calling the bombing a "cowardly act". It was suspected that an officer was killed, and many people started to shout out anti-Gaddafi chants while

4650-420: The city. Two local radio stations, operated by Voice of Free Libya , along with a newspaper, were also established. From 26 February to 26 August, Benghazi was the temporary headquarters of the National Transitional Council which is led by the former justice minister, Mustafa Abdul Jalil , until Tripoli was liberated. On 19 March, pro-Gaddafi forces almost defeated the rebellion when they began attacking

4743-433: The coast. As a consequence, there was a large economic development effort in the second half of the 1930s. Initially the Italian aim was to drive the local population to the marginal land in the interior and to resettle the Italian population in the most fertile lands of Libya, but since 1938 the new governor Italo Balbo changed this policy in order to get the approval from the native population. The Italians did not provide

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4836-478: The coup preceded Idris’ formal abdication. King Idris’ nephew and Crown Prince Hasan as-Senussi, who had been designated Regent when Idris left Libya to seek medical treatment in 1969, became the successor to the leadership of the Senussi order. Many Libyans continue to regard Idris with great affection, referring to him as the "Sufi King". In May 2013, Idris and Omar Mukhtar were commemorated for their role as Senussi leaders and key players in Libya's independence in

4929-438: The early 1930s, that included salt processing, oil refining, food processing, cement manufacturing, tanning, brewing and sponge and tuna fishing. The port of Benghazi was enlarged and a modern Hospital. Also a new airport was built nearby was created. In 1934, Italian Cyrenaica and Italian Tripolitania became part of Italian Libya . In the late 1930s, Cyrenaica was populated by more than 20,000 Italian colonists , mainly around

5022-409: The end of the war in 1945, the Western powers pushed for Idris, still leader of the Senussi order, to be the leader of a new unified Libya. When the country achieved independence under the aegis of the United Nations in 1951, Idris became its king, and Fatimah his Queen consort. Although it was instrumental in his accession to power, according to the Islamic scholar Mohammed Ayoob, Idris used Islam "as

5115-451: The enlargement of the Port of Benghazi . A group of villages with all the needed communications (and infrastructures) for Italians and Libyans were established in coastal Cyrenaica during the 1930s. Senussi The Senusiyya , Senussi or Sanusi ( Arabic : السنوسية , romanized :  as-Sanūssiyya ) are a Muslim political-religious Sufi order and clan in Libya and surrounding regions founded in Mecca in 1837 by

5208-425: The government of Muammar Gaddafi occurred in the city. The revolt spread by 17 February to Bayda , Tobruk , Ajdabya , Al Marj in the East and Zintan , Zawiya in the West, calling for the end of the Gaddafi regime. Benghazi was seized by Gaddafi opponents on 21 February, who founded the National Transitional Council . On 19 March 2011, the city was the site of the turning point of the Libyan Civil War , when

5301-508: The last militant-held district in December 2017. On 23 October 2020, the 5+5 Joint Libyan Military Commission representing the LNA and the GNA reached a " permanent ceasefire agreement in all areas of Libya ". The agreement, effective immediately, required that all foreign fighters leave Libya within three months while a joint police force would patrol disputed areas. The first commercial flight between Tripoli and Benghazi took place that same day. On 10 March 2021, an interim unity government

5394-403: The leadership of Muammar Gaddafi staged a coup d'état in 1969, whereafter all government institutions were concentrated in Tripoli, Even though King Idris was forced into exile and the monarchy abolished, support for the Senussi dynasty remained strong in Cyrenaica. This was emphasized by real or perceived injustices from the government towards the people of Benghazi, including the demolition in

5487-524: The local Bedouin population as well as those arriving following the Italian war from western Libya. The predominant religion in Benghazi is Islam . Almost all of the city's inhabitants are Sunni Muslims. During Islamic holidays such as Ramadan, most abstain from food; restaurants are usually empty during the day, with the exception of some expatriates and tourists. Alcohol is banned by law in Benghazi and throughout Libya in accordance with government regulations. The often conservative nature of Benghazi creates

5580-419: The order were numerous. In most of these countries, the Senussi wielded no more political power than other Muslim fraternities, but in the eastern Sahara and central Sudan, things were different. Muhammed al-Mahdi had the authority of a sovereign in a vast but almost empty desert. The string of oases leading from Siwa to Kufra and Borkou were cultivated by the Senussis, and trade with Tripoli and Benghazi

5673-414: The outbreak of the second Libyan Civil War in 2014, Benghazi became the subject of heavy fighting between the Libyan National Army -aligned House of Representatives government, and the Islamist Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries and ISIL -aligned Wilayat Barqa , which were entrenched in various pockets in the city. During the closing months of the battle, between late-2016 and mid-2017, much of

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5766-406: The people to fight back and try to overthrow Gaddafi from power in The Libyan Revolution . At least 500 people were killed in the protests against the government. The former Libyan flag used in the Kingdom of Libya was used by many protesters as an opposition flag. Demonstrators were also seen carrying images of King Idris I. Benghazi and the Cyrenaica have been traditional strongholds of

5859-407: The process. From 1917 to his death, in 1933, Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi's leadership was mostly nominal. Idris of Libya , a grandson of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi , the Grand Senussi, replaced Ahmed as effective leader of the Order in 1917 and went on to play a key role as the Senussi leader who brought the Libyan tribes together into a unified Libyan nation. Idris established a tacit alliance with

5952-414: The process. As historian Ali Abdullah Ahmida remarked, the Senussi order was able to transcend "ethnic and local tribal identification", and therefore had a unifying influence on the Libyans fighting the Italian occupiers. A well-known hero of the Libyan resistance and an ally of Idris, Omar Mukhtar , was a prominent member of the Senussi order and a Sufi teacher whom the Italians executed in 1931. After

6045-589: The rebel independence leader Omar Mukhtar was captured and executed. Fascist Italy maintained several concentration camps in Eastern Libya during the first phase of its occupation of that country. The colonial administration began in 1929 the nearly wholesale deportation of the people of the Jebel Akhdar to deny the rebels the support of the local population. The forced migration of more than 100,000 people ended in concentration camps in Suluq , El Magrun , Abyar and El Agheila where tens of thousands died in squalid conditions, mainly because of epidemics like

6138-440: The region back under Ptolemaic control. Euesperides was relocated to a new site underneath Benghazi's modern city centre and renamed Berenice . The move may have been due to the silting up of the lagoons, but there is no archaeological evidence for economic decline in the preceding period, and it is more likely that the refoundation was punishment for having opposed Berenice and Ptolemy's assumption of power. Modern Benghazi, on

6231-452: The resistance and Italians closed Senussi khanqahs, arrested sheikhs , and confiscated mosques and their land. The Senussi resistance was led by Omar Mukhtar who used his knowledge of desert warfare and guerrilla tactics to resist Italian colonization. After his death the Senussi resistance faded, and they were forced to renounce their land for compensation. Overall, Libyans fought the Italians until 1943, with 250,000–300,000 of them dying in

6324-407: The revolutionary government, which also appointed a supervisor for their properties. Ironically, Omar Mukhtar became one of Gaddafi's most inspiring figures, whose speeches he frequently quoted, and whose image he often exhibited in official occasions. In 1984, Libya's distinguished Senussi University was closed by Gaddafi's order, although international scholars continued to visit the country until

6417-442: The royal Senussi dynasty. By 21 February, the city was reported to be largely controlled by the opposition. The widely loathed mayor, Huda Ben Amer , nicknamed "the Executioner", had fled the city for Tripoli. Residents organised to direct traffic and collect refuse. By 24 February, a committee made up of lawyers, judges and respected local people had been formed in order to provide civic administration and public services within

6510-402: The ruler of Egypt. The new city was later given the name Hesperides , in reference to the Hesperides , the guardians of the mythic western paradise. The name may have also referred to green oases in low-lying areas in the nearby coastal plain. Benghazi later became a Roman city and greatly prospered for 600 years. The city superseded Cyrene and Barca as the chief center of Cyrenaica after

6603-816: The same name fall. The official 32 Basic People's Congresses of Benghazi are: 1 Al-Magroon 2 Al-Saahil al-Gharbi 3 Karkoora 4 Gimeenis 5 Suluq 6 Al-Khadhraa 7 Al-Nawagiya 8 Al-Magziha 9 Al-Keesh 10 Garyounis 11 Al-Fuwayhat 12 Al-Berka 13 Bu-Fakhra 14 Jarrutha 15 Al-Quwarsha 16 Bu Atni 17 Benina 18 Al-Kwayfiya 19 Sidi Khalifa 20 Al-Hawari 21 Al-Thawra al-Shabiyah 22 Shuhadaa al-Salawi 23 Madinat Benghazi 24 Sidi Hsayn 25 Al-Sabri 26 Sidi Abayd 27 Al-Salmani 28 Raas Abayda 29 Benghazi al-Jadida 30 Al-Uruba 31 Hay al-Mukhtar 32 Al-Hadaa'iq As with other cities in Libya, there

6696-660: The shrine of al-Shaab al-Dahmani, a Sufi saint, in Tripoli . The tombs of Sufi scholars were systematically targeted by extremists as well. The sustained attacks were consistently denounced by Sufi scholars as well as by the League of Libyan Ulema , a group of leading Libyan religious scholars, calling the population to protect the religious and historical sites by force and urging the authorities to intervene in order to avoid further escalations of violence and new attacks by Salafi groups. Benghazi Benghazi ( / b ɛ n ˈ ɡ ɑː z i / ) ( lit. Son of [the] Ghazi )

6789-401: The site of Benghazi in the late seventh century BC. They called the city Euesperides ( Ancient Greek : Εὐεσπερίδες ) and Hesperis ( Ancient Greek : Ἑσπερίς ). Euesperides was most likely founded by people from Cyrene or Barce , which was located on the edge of a lagoon which opened from the sea. At the time, this area may have been deep enough to receive small sailing vessels. The name

6882-575: The stronghold of the Libyan and Senussi resistance to the Italian rulers. In 1922, Idris went into exile in Egypt, as the Italian response to the Libyan resistance grew increasingly violent. In 1931, Idris married his first cousin Fatimah el-Sharif, a daughter of his predecessor Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi. During the Second World War , Senussi groups led by Idris formally allied themselves with

6975-453: The throne of Libya. The Zawiya system and its influence. Although the Zawiya system was mainly religious, in other states the Zawiya system in the Senussi took place in being an economical, educational, and military building teaching tactics, fighting skills, using muskets, Arabic , economy and some types of work and the Zawiya system was also opposed to some form of colonialism by making

7068-490: The two Italian-Libyan Divisions: The 1st Libyan Division and 2nd Libyan Division were created in Cyrenaica in the villages of Gedida-Nuova, Nahida-Risorta, Zahra- Fiorita and el-Fager-Alba. The Italians implemented major infrastructure projects in Italian Cyrenaica, mainly in the 1930s; the most important were the coastal road between Tripoli and Benghazi , the railways Benghazi-Barce and Benghazi-Soluch , and

7161-696: The urban center in and around the remaining Shura Council pocket in the central coastal quarters of Suq Al-Hout and al-Sabri suffered heavy bombardment and war damage. Wilayat Barqa militants reportedly fled Benghazi in early January, while the LNA's General Khalifa Haftar declared the city cleared of the Shura Council on 5 July 2017. Despite Haftar's declaration of the liberation of the city, dozens of gunmen remained fortified and besieged in Sidi Akribesh, according to sources close to military. LNA captured

7254-456: The use of stimulants as well as voluntary poverty. Lodge members were to eat and dress within the limits of fiqh and, instead of depending on charity, were required to earn their living through work. Bedouins had shown no interest in the ecstatic practices of the Sufis that were gaining adherents in the towns, but they were attracted in great numbers to the Senussis. The relative austerity of

7347-666: The year 2000 of the arena of football club Alahly Benghazi S.C. , following anti-government protests. On 15 April 1986, U.S. Air Force and Navy planes bombed Benghazi and Tripoli . President Ronald Reagan justified the attacks by claiming Libya was responsible for terrorism directed at the United States, including the bombing of La Belle discothèque in West Berlin ten days before. In February 2011, peaceful protests erupted in Benghazi that were brutally suppressed by Gaddafi's armed forces and loyalists. The violence urged

7440-633: Was at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, and Probatius at a synod held in Constantinople in 394. No longer a residential bishopric, Berenice is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see . In the 13th century, the small settlement became an important player in the trade growing up between Genoese merchants and the tribes of the hinterland. In 16th century maps, the name of Marsa ibn Ghazi appears. Benghazi had

7533-654: Was attributed to the fertility of the neighborhood, which gave rise to the mythological associations of the garden of the Hesperides . The ancient city existed on a raised piece of land opposite of what is now the Sidi-Abayd graveyard in the Northern Benghazi suburb of Sbikhat al-Salmani (al-Salmani Marsh ). The city is first mentioned by ancient sources in Herodotus ' account of the revolt of Barca and

7626-458: Was encouraged. Although named "al-Mahdi" by his father, Muhammad never claimed to be the actual Mahdi . However, he was regarded as such by some of his followers. When Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself the Mahdi in 1881, Muhammad Idris decided to have nothing to do with him. Although Muhammad Ahmed wrote twice asking him to become one of his four great caliphs, he received no reply. In 1890,

7719-419: Was formed, which was slated to remain in place until the next Libyan presidential election scheduled for 10 December. However, the election has been delayed several times since, effectively rendering the unity government in power indefinitely, causing tensions which threaten to reignite the war. Benghazi District is one of Libya's 22 shabiyahs (people's districts). In 2022, 18 provinces were declared by

7812-473: Was going to be connected in 1940 by a new railway to Tripoli, but in summer of that year war started between Italians and British and infrastructure development came to a standstill. In World War II Benghazi changed hands several times. During Operation Compass the city was captured from the Italians by Combe Force on 6 February 1941. Benghazi was recaptured by Axis powers , led by general Erwin Rommel of

7905-496: Was invaded and conquered by the Italians. Nearly half the local population of Cyrenaica under the leadership of Omar Mukhtar resisted the Italian occupation. In the early 1930s, the revolt was over and the Italians—under governor Italo Balbo —started attempts to assimilate the local population with pacifying policies: a number of new villages for Cyrenaicans were created with health services and schools. Additionally Cyrenaica

7998-478: Was later rebuilt with the country's newly found oil wealth as a gleaming showpiece of modern Libya . It became the capital city of Emirate of Cyrenaica (1949–1951) under Idris Senussi I . In 1951, Cyrenaica was merged with Tripolitania and Fezzan to form the independent Kingdom of Libya , of which both Benghazi and Tripoli were capital cities. Benghazi lost its capital status when the Free Officers under

8091-441: Was not dead. The new head of the Senussi maintained the friendly relations of his predecessors with Sultan Dud Murra of Wadai , governing the order as regent for his young cousin, Muhammad Idris II, the future King Idris of Libya , who signed the 1917 Treaty of Acroma that ceded control of Libya from the Kingdom of Italy and was later recognized by them as Emir of Cyrenaica on October 25, 1920. The Senussi, encouraged by

8184-534: Was opposed by the Ulama. He left Egypt for Mecca , where he spent 15 years as a student and teacher until 1843. Senussi went to Mecca, where he joined Ahmad ibn Idris al-Qadiri, the head of the Qadiriyya , a renowned religious fraternity. Senussi furthermore acquired several of his ideas while under his education from 1825-1827/28. On the death of ibn Idris, Senussi became head of one of the two branches into which

8277-577: Was placed under the care of his father's friends Amran, Rifi, and others. At age 18, he left their care and moved to Fez to further his knowledge of the Qur'an and Sufism. The successors to the sultan of Abu Qubays , Sultans Ali (1858–74) and Yusef (1874–98), continued to support the Senussi. Under al-Mahdi, the Zawiyas of the order extended to Fez, Damascus , Istanbul , and India . In the Hejaz , members of

8370-457: Was populated by more than 20,000 Italian colonists in the late 1930s, mainly around the coast of Benghazi. Benghazi population was made up of more than 35 per cent of Italians in 1939. As a consequence, there was in Cyrenaica and mostly in Benghazi a huge economic development in the second half of the 1930s. Benghazi grew to be a modern city with a new airport, new railway station, new seaplane station, an enlarged port and many facilities. Benghazi

8463-516: Was put down by Italian forces in 1932, after the so-called " pacification campaign ", which resulted in the deaths of a quarter of Cyrenaica's local population. In 1934, it became part of Italian Libya . Italian Cyrenaica and Italian Tripolitania were formed in 1911, during the conquest of Ottoman Tripolitania in the Italo-Turkish War . In the 1920s, Cyrenaica was the scene of fighting between Italian colonial forces and Libyan rebels who were fighting for independence from colonial rule. In 1931,

8556-607: Was toppled while he was receiving medical treatment in Turkey. From there he fled to Greece and then Egypt, where he died in exile in 1983. Meanwhile, a republic was proclaimed, and Idris was sentenced to death in absentia in November 1971 by the Libyan People's Court. In August 1969, Idris issued a letter of abdication designating his nephew Hassan as-Senussi as his successor. The letter was to be effective on September 2, but

8649-653: Was visited at Jaghbub by the pasha of Benghazi accompanied by Ottoman troops. This event showed the sheik the possibility of danger and led him to move his headquarters to Jof in the oases of Kufra in 1894, a place sufficiently remote to secure him from a sudden attack. However, the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II sent his aide-de-camp Azmzade Sadik El Mueyyed to meet Sheikh Mohammed al-Mahdi al Senussi twice, once to Jaghbub in 1886 and once to Kufra in 1895. Azmzade Sadik El Mueyyed published his journals on these visits in his book titled Journey in

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