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83-469: The crisis in Libya has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties since the onset of violence in early 2011. During both civil wars, the output of Libya's economically crucial oil industry collapsed to a small fraction of its usual level, despite having the largest oil reserves of any African country, with most facilities blockaded or damaged by rival groups. Since March 2022, two different governments control

166-459: A ministry of war or department of war , although they generally had authority only over the army of a country, with a separate department governing other military branches. Prior to World War II , most "ministries of war" were army ministries, while the navy and the air force, if it existed as a separate branch, had their own departments. As late as 1953, for example, the Soviet Union had

249-637: A Roman public bath), much of the earliest defensive structures of the Tripoli castle (or "Assaraya al-Hamra", i.e. , the " Red Castle ") are attributed to the Knights of St John. Having previously combated piracy from their base on Rhodes , the Knights were given charge of the city to prevent it from being retaken by Barbary pirates . The disruption the pirates caused to the Christian shipping lanes in

332-598: A huge architectural and urbanistic improvement under Italian rule: the first thing the Italians did was to create in the early 1920s a sewage system (that until then it lacked) and a modern hospital. In the coast of the province was built in 1937–1938 a section of the Litoranea Balbia , a road that went from Tripoli and Tunisia's frontier to the border of Egypt . The car tag for the Italian province of Tripoli

415-587: A local civil war to reassert their direct authority. After that date, Tripoli was under the direct control of the Sublime Porte . Rebellions in 1842 and 1844 were unsuccessful. After the French occupation of Tunisia (1881), the Ottomans increased their garrison in Tripoli considerably. Italy had long claimed that Tripoli fell within its zone of influence and that Italy had the right to preserve order within

498-591: A naval force was sent from the United States to blockade Tripoli. The First Barbary War (1801–1805) dragged on for four years. In 1803, Tripolitan fighters captured the U.S. Navy heavy frigate Philadelphia and took its commander, Captain William Bainbridge , and the entire crew as prisoners. This was after the Philadelphia was run aground when the captain tried to navigate too close to

581-467: A permanent ceasefire deal had been reached between the two rival forces in Libya. The nationwide ceasefire agreement is set to ensure that all foreign forces, alongside mercenaries, have left the country for at least three months. All military forces and armed groups at the trenches are expected to retreat back to their camps, the UN's envoy to Libya, Stephanie Williams added. The eastern city of Benghazi witnessed

664-541: A radical decentralization program undertaken by Gaddafi in September 1988, all General People's Committee secretariats ( ministries ), except those responsible for foreign liaison ( foreign policy and international relations ) and information, were moved outside Tripoli. According to diplomatic sources, the former Secretariat for Economy and Trade was moved to Benghazi ; the Secretariat for Health to Kufra ; and

747-550: A regular tributary tax to the Sultan but were in all other aspects rulers of an independent kingdom. This order of things continued under the rule of his descendants, accompanied by the brazen piracy and blackmailing until 1835 when the Ottoman Empire took advantage of an internal struggle and re-established its authority. The Ottoman province ( vilayet ) of Tripoli (including the dependent sanjak of Cyrenaica ) lay along

830-421: A significant loss of economic potential in Libya, estimated at 783.2 billion Libyan dinars from 2011 to 2021. By 2022, the humanitarian situation had improved, though challenges remain. Tripoli, Libya Tripoli , historically known as Tripoli-of-the-West , is the capital and largest city of Libya , with a population of about 1.317 million people in 2021. It is located in the northwest of Libya on

913-422: A successful daring nighttime raid to retake and burn the warship rather than see it remain in enemy hands. Decatur's men set fire to the Philadelphia and escaped. A notable incident in the war was the expedition undertaken by diplomatic Consul William Eaton with the objective of replacing the pasha with an elder brother living in exile, who had promised to accede to all the wishes of the United States. Eaton, at

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996-481: Is recorded by Ibn Abd al-Hakam that during the siege of Tripoli by a general of the Rashidun Caliphate named Amr ibn al-As , seven of his soldiers from the clan of Madhlij, sub branch of Kinana , unintentionally found a section on the western side of Tripoli beach that was not walled during their hunting routine. Those seven soldiers then managed to infiltrate through this way without being detected by

1079-494: The de facto leader of the country on 1 September 1969 , after leading a group of young Libyan military officers against King Idris I in a nonviolent revolution and bloodless coup d'état . After the king fled the country, the Libyan Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) headed by Gaddafi abolished the monarchy and the old constitution and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic , with

1162-595: The Levant '. It is affectionately called "The Mermaid of the Mediterranean" (Arabic: عروسة البحر , romanized:  ʿArūsat al-Baḥr , lit.   'bride of the sea'), describing its turquoise waters and whitewashed buildings. The name derives from Ancient Greek Trípolis ( Τρίπολις ), from Τρεις Πόλεις , Treis Póleis , lit.   ' three cities '  – referring to Oea, Sabratha and Leptis Magna . The city of Oea

1245-782: The Mediterranean had been one of the main incentives for the Spanish conquest of the city. The knights held the city until the Siege of Tripoli in 1551 and their surrender to the Ottomans , led by the Muslim Turkish commander Turgut Reis . Turgut Reis served as pasha of Tripoli. During his rule, he adorned and built up the city, making it one of the most impressive cities along the North African Coast. Turgut

1328-402: The Philadelphia prisoners under the 1805 Treaty with Tripoli . In 1815, in consequence of further outrages and due to the humiliation of the earlier defeat, Captains Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur , at the head of an American squadron, again visited Tripoli and forced the pasha to comply with the demands of the United States. See Second Barbary War . In 1835, the Ottomans took advantage of

1411-724: The Tripoli Grand Prix , an international motor racing event first held in 1925 on a racing circuit outside Tripoli. The Tripoli Grand Prix took place until 1940. The first airport in Libya, the Mellaha Air Base was built by the Italian Air Force in 1923 near the Tripoli racing circuit. The airport is currently called Mitiga International Airport . Tripoli even had a railway station with some small railway connections to nearby cities , when in August 1941

1494-414: The " Sha'biyah " included the city, its suburbs and their immediate surroundings. In older administrative systems and throughout history, there existed a province (" muhafazah "), state (" wilayah ") or city-state with a much larger area (though not constant boundaries), which is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Tripoli but more appropriately should be called Tripolitania . As a District, Tripoli borders

1577-574: The 1980s Chadian–Libyan conflict . On 11 September 2012, militants allied with Al-Qaeda attacked the US consulate in Benghazi , killing the US ambassador and three others. This prompted a popular outcry against the semi-legal militias that were still operating, and resulted in the storming of several Islamist militia bases by protesters. A large-scale government crackdown followed on non-sanctioned militias, with

1660-844: The 22nd year of the Hijra , that is between 30 November 642 and 18 November 643 AD. Following the conquest, Tripoli was ruled by dynasties based in Cairo , Egypt (first the Fatimids , Banu Khazrun , and later the Mamluks ), and Kairouan in Ifriqiya (the Arab Fihrid , Muhallabid , and Aghlabid dynasties). For some time it was a part of the Berber Almohad Caliphate , Hafsid Kingdom , and Banu Thabit dynasty. In 1510,

1743-585: The Bab Al-Bahr gate. After the capture by the Ottoman Turks, Tripoli once again became a base of operation for Barbary pirates. One of several Western attempts to dislodge them again was a Royal Navy attack under John Narborough in 1675, of which a vivid eye-witness account has survived. Effective Ottoman rule during this period (1551–1711) was often hampered by the local Janissary corps. Intended to function as enforcers of local administration,

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1826-827: The British Eighth Army on 23 January 1943. Tripoli was then governed by the British until independence in 1951. Under the terms of the 1947 peace treaty with the Allies , Italy relinquished all claims to Libya. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi became leader of Libya on 1 September 1969 after a successful coup d'état. On 15 April 1986, U.S. President Ronald Reagan ordered major bombing raids, dubbed Operation El Dorado Canyon , against Tripoli and Benghazi , killing 45 Libyan military and government personnel as well as 15 civilians. This strike followed US interception of telex messages from Libya's East Berlin embassy suggesting

1909-501: The GNA and the LNA both agreed to a ceasefire. Khalifa Haftar , Field Marshal of the LNA, rejected the ceasefire and LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari dismissed the GNA's ceasefire announcement as a ploy. On 23 August, street protests took place in Tripoli , where hundreds protested against the GNA for living conditions and corruption within the government. On 23 October 2020, the UN disclosed that

1992-764: The GNU and the recently formed GNS in Tripoli . The GNS was formed to rival the GNU although the GNU saw the creation of the government as illegitimate. The GNU is considered to be the internationally-recognized government and has mainly been backed by Turkey whereas the GNS has been supported by the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army . Fighting between the two factions escalated on August 27, 2022. Drone strikes against Wagner Group -affiliated assets near

2075-579: The Government of National Accord is now functioning and is backed by the UN, its authority is still unclear as specific details acceptable to both sides have not yet been agreed upon. The Tobruk government, strongest in eastern Libya, has the loyalty of Haftar's Libyan National Army and has been supported by air strikes by Egypt and the UAE . The Islamist government of the GNC, strongest in western Libya, rejected

2158-487: The Government of National Unity and proclaim the Government of National Stability as the only legitimate government of Libya. On 18 August 2024, The Central Bank of Libya suspended all its operations following the kidnapping of the director of its IT department by an unknown person. In spite of the crisis, Libya maintains one of the highest human development index (HDI) rankings among countries in Africa. The war has caused

2241-456: The Italians started to build a new 1,040-kilometer (646-mile) railway (with a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8.5 in) gauge, like the one used in Egypt and Tunisia) between Tripoli and Benghazi . But the war stopped the construction the next year. Tripoli was controlled by Italy until 1943 when the provinces of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were captured by Allied forces. The city fell to troops of

2324-610: The Levant's (ISIL's) Libyan provinces ; as well as Tuareg militias of Ghat , controlling desert areas in the southwest; and local forces in Misrata District , controlling the towns of Bani Walid and Tawergha . The belligerents are coalitions of armed groups that sometimes change sides. Since 2015, there have been many political developments. The United Nations brokered a cease-fire in December 2015, and on 31 March 2016

2407-465: The Libyan Army raiding several now-illegal militias' headquarters and ordering them to disband. The violence eventually escalated into the second Libyan civil war. The second Libyan civil war was a conflict among rival groups seeking control of the territory of Libya. The conflict has been mostly between the government of the House of Representatives , also known as the " Tobruk government", which

2490-527: The Libyan Army, post-revolutionary brigades, militias, and various other armed groups, many composed of ordinary workers and students. Some of the armed groups formed during the war against the regime and others evolved later for security purposes. Some were based on tribal allegiances. The groups formed in different parts of the country and varied considerably in size, capability, and influence. They were not united as one body, but they were not necessarily at odds with one another. Revolutionary brigades accounted for

2573-609: The Libyan National Army seized Benghazi after three years of fighting . In February 2019, the LNA achieved victory in the Battle of Derna . The LNA then launched a major offensive in April 2019 in an attempt to seize Tripoli. On 5 June 2020, the GNA captured all of western Libya, including the capital Tripoli. The next day the GNA launched an offensive to capture Sirte. However, they proved unable to advance. On 21 August,

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2656-505: The Port of Tripoli and through airports in Libya. This lifting of the resolution had a positive impact on the city's economy allowing for more goods to enter the city. In February and March 2011, Tripoli witnessed intense anti-government protests and violent government responses resulting in hundreds killed and wounded. The city's Green Square was the scene of some of the protests. The anti-Gaddafi protests were eventually crushed, and Tripoli

2739-539: The Tunisian border, on the continent of Africa. Over a thousand kilometers (621 miles) separates Tripoli from Libya's second largest city, Benghazi. Coastal oases alternate with sandy areas and lagoons along the shores of Tripolitania for more than 300 km (190 mi). The city lies about 70 kilometers north from the Nafusa Mountains , the source of seasonal rivers like Wadi Al-Mjeneen. Until 2007,

2822-459: The al-Kharrouba air base near Benghazi occurred on 30 June 2023. No casualties were reported, and no group has claimed responsibility. The Tripoli-based government in Libya denied involvement. Fighting restarted in August 2023. In September 2023, against the backdrop of the civil war, two dams collapsed in the city of Derna , in Cyrenaica, causing thousands of deaths. On 28 June 2024, it

2905-462: The average remains at between 9 and 18 °C (48 and 64 °F). The average annual rainfall is less than 400 millimeters (16 inches). Snowfall has occurred in past years. The rainfall can be very erratic. Epic floods in 1945 left Tripoli underwater for several days, but two years later an unprecedented drought caused the loss of thousands of head of cattle. Deficiency in rainfall is no doubt reflected in an absence of permanent rivers or streams in

2988-631: The capital of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya had been moved from Tripoli to Sirte , after rebels had taken control of Tripoli. In August and September 2014, Islamist armed groups extended their control of central Tripoli. The House of Representatives parliament set up operations on a Greek car ferry in Tobruk . A rival New General National Congress parliament continued to operate in Tripoli. The 2022 Tripoli clashes and 2023 Tripoli clashes continued to disrupt

3071-414: The capital. Several months after the initial uprising, rebel forces in the Nafusa Mountains advanced towards the coast, retaking Zawiya and reaching Tripoli on 21 August. On 21 August, the symbolic Green Square, immediately renamed Martyrs' Square by the rebels, was taken under rebel control and pro-Gaddafi posters were torn down and burned. During a radio address on 1 September, Gaddafi declared that

3154-709: The captain of the Janissaries and his cronies were often the de facto rulers. In 1711, Ahmed Karamanli , a Janissary officer of Turkish origin, killed the Ottoman governor, the " Pasha ", and established himself as ruler of the Tripolitania region. By 1714, he had asserted a sort of semi-independence from the Ottoman Sultan, heralding in the Karamanli dynasty . The Pashas of Tripoli were expected to pay

3237-446: The city as is indeed true throughout the entire country. The allocation of limited water is considered of sufficient importance to warrant the existence of the Secretariat of Dams and Water Resources, and damaging a source of water can be penalized by a heavy fine or imprisonment. The Great Manmade River , a network of pipelines that transport water from the desert to the coastal cities, supplies Tripoli with its water. The grand scheme

3320-520: The city guards, then managed to incite a riot within the city while shouting Takbir, causing the confused Byzantine garrison soldiers to think the Muslim forces were already inside in the city and flee towards their ship leaving Tripoli, thus allowing Amr to subdue the city easily. According to al-Baladhuri , Tripoli was, unlike Western North Africa, taken by the Muslims very early after Alexandria , in

3403-461: The city was conquered by Pedro Navarro, Count of Oliveto for Spain. In 1530, it was assigned together with Malta to the Knights of St. John , who had been expelled by the Ottoman Turks from their stronghold on the island of Rhodes . Finding themselves in hostile territory, the Knights reinforced the city walls and built defenses. Though built on top of older buildings (possibly including

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3486-431: The city. Tripoli and its surrounding suburbs all lie within the Tripoli sha'biyah (district). In accordance with Libya's former Jamahiriya political system, Tripoli comprises Local People's Congresses where, in theory, the city's population discuss different matters and elect their own people's committee; at present there are 29 Local People's Congresses. In reality, the former revolutionary committees severely limited

3569-442: The country, the Tripoli -based and internationally recognized Government of National Unity , which controls the western part of the country and is led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh , and the House of Representatives -recognized Government of National Stability , which controls the central and eastern part of Libya and is led by Osama Hamada . The history of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi spanned 42 years from 1969 to 2011. Gaddafi became

3652-432: The democratic process by closely supervising committee and congress elections at the branch and district levels of governments, Tripoli being no exception. Tripoli is sometimes referred to as "the de jure capital of Libya" because none of the country's ministries are actually located in the capital. Even the former National General People's Congress was held annually in the city of Sirte rather than in Tripoli. As part of

3735-420: The early part of the 19th century, the regency at Tripoli, owing to its piratical practices, was twice involved in war with the United States. In May 1801, the pasha demanded an increase in the tribute ($ 83,000) which the U.S. government had been paying since 1796 for the protection of their commerce from piracy under the 1796 Treaty with Tripoli . The demand was refused by third President Thomas Jefferson , and

3818-658: The eastern and western managements of Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC). As of 22 August, the unity government still had not received the approval of Haftar's supporters in the Tobruk government, and on 11 September the general boosted his political leverage by seizing control of two key oil terminals. Haftar and the NOC then reached an agreement for increasing oil production and exports, and all nine of Libya's major oil terminals were operating again in January 2017. In December 2017,

3901-698: The edge of the desert , on a point of rocky land projecting into the Mediterranean Sea and forming a bay. It includes the port of Tripoli and the country's largest commercial and manufacturing center. It is also the site of the University of Tripoli . Tripoli was founded in the 7th century BC by the Phoenicians , who gave it the Libyco-Berber name Oyat ( Punic : 𐤅𐤉‬‬𐤏‬𐤕 , romanized:  Wyʿt ), before passing into

3984-461: The election has been delayed several times since, effectively rendering the unity government in power indefinitely, causing tensions which threaten to reignite the war. The House of Representatives , which rules eastern Libya, passed a no-confidence motion against the unity government on 21 September 2021. On 3 March 2022 a rival Government of National Stability (GNS) was installed in Sirte , under

4067-427: The following districts: Tripoli has a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen : BSh ) with hot and dry, prolonged summers and relatively wet mild winters. Although virtually rainless, summers are hot and muggy with temperatures that often exceed 38  °C (100  °F ); average July temperatures are between 22 and 33 °C (72 and 91 °F). In December, temperatures have reached as low as 0 °C (32 °F), but

4150-886: The hands of the Greek rulers of Cyrenaica as Oea ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : Ὀία , translit.   Oía ). Due to the city's long history, there are many sites of archeological significance in Tripoli. Tripoli may also refer to the sha'biyah (top-level administrative division in the Libyan system), the Tripoli District . In the Arab world , Tripoli is also known as "Tripoli-of-the-West" (Arabic: طرابلس الغرب , romanized:  Ṭarābulus al-Gharb ), to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon , known in Arabic as Ṭarābulus ash-Shām ( طرابلس الشام ), meaning 'Tripoli of

4233-459: The head of a mixed force of US Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, along with Greek, Arab and Turkish mercenaries numbering approximately 500, marched across the Egyptian / Libyan desert from Alexandria , Egypt and with the aid of three American warships, succeeded in capturing Derna . Soon afterward, on 3 June 1805, peace was concluded. The pasha ended his demands and received $ 60,000 as ransom for

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4316-529: The involvement of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in a bomb explosion on 5 April in West Berlin 's La Belle discothèque, a nightclub frequented by US servicemen. Among the alleged fatalities of the 15 April retaliatory attack by the United States was Gaddafi's adopted daughter, Hana Gaddafi . The United Nations sanctions against Libya imposed in April 1992 under Security Council Resolution 748 were lifted in September 2003, which increased traffic through

4399-417: The landing of the first commercial passenger flight from Tripoli on the same day, which had not happened for over a year and is perceived to be an indication of success of the deal. On 10 March 2021, an interim unity government was formed, and the Government of National Accord was dissolved. The GNU was slated to remain in place until the next Libyan presidential election scheduled for 10 December. However,

4482-555: The later half of the 2nd century BC, it belonged to the Romans , who included it in their province of Africa , and gave it the name of "Regio Syrtica". Around the beginning of the 3rd century AD , it became known as the Regio Tripolitana , meaning "region of the three cities", namely Oea ( i.e. , modern Tripoli), Sabratha and Leptis Magna . It was probably raised to the rank of a separate province by Septimius Severus , who

4565-458: The leaders of a new UN-supported "unity government" arrived in Tripoli. On 5 April, the Islamist government in western Libya announced that it was suspending operations and handing power to the new unity government, officially named the " Government of National Accord ", although it was not yet clear whether the new arrangement would succeed. On 2 July, rival leaders reached an agreement to reunify

4648-402: The leadership of Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha . The decision was denounced as illegitimate by the High Council of State and condemned by the United Nations . Both governments have been functioning simultaneously, which has led to dual power in Libya. The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum keeps corresponding with ceasefire agreement. In 2022, fighting yet again resumed between factions of

4731-438: The majority of skilled and experienced fighters and weapons. Some militias evolved from criminal networks to violent extremist gangs, quite different from the brigades seeking to provide protection. After the first Libyan civil war, violence occurred involving various armed groups who fought against Gaddafi but refused to lay down their arms when the war ended in October 2011. Some brigades and militias shifted from merely delaying

4814-413: The military, and is usually controlled by a defence minister or secretary of defense . The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in some the minister is only in charge of general budget matters and procurement of equipment, while in others they are also an integral part of the operational military chain of command . Historically, such departments were referred to as

4897-431: The motto "freedom, socialism, and unity". After coming to power, the RCC government took control of all petroleum companies operating in the country and initiated a process of directing funds toward providing education, health care and housing for all. Despite the reforms not being entirely effective, public education in the country became free and primary education compulsory for both sexes. Medical care became available to

4980-431: The number of unregulated armed groups, the National Transitional Council called for all armed groups to register and unite under the ministry of defense , thus placing many armed groups on the payroll of the government. This gave a degree of legitimacy to many armed groups, including General Khalifa Haftar who registered his armed group as the " Libyan National Army ", the same name he used for his anti-Gaddafi forces after

5063-429: The port of Tripoli. After several hours aground and Tripolitan gun boats firing upon the Philadelphia , though none ever struck the Philadelphia , Captain Bainbridge made the decision to surrender. The Philadelphia was later turned against the Americans and anchored in Tripoli Harbor as a gun battery while her officers and crew were held prisoners in Tripoli. The following year, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Stephen Decatur led

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5146-421: The process) or built on top of them, burying them beneath the streets, where they remain largely unexcavated. There is evidence to suggest that the Tripolitania region was in some economic decline during the 5th and 6th centuries, in part due to the political unrest spreading across the Mediterranean world in the wake of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire , as well as pressure from the invading Vandals . It

5229-414: The public at no cost, but providing housing for all was a task that the government was not able to complete. Under Gaddafi, per capita income in the country rose to more than US$ 11,000, the fifth-highest in Africa. The increase in prosperity was accompanied by a controversial foreign policy and increased political repression at home. In early 2011, protests erupted with tens of thousands of Libyans taking to

5312-435: The remainder, excepting one, to Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi 's birthplace. In early 1993 it was announced that the Secretariat for Foreign Liaison and International Co-operation was to be moved to Ra's Lanuf . In October 2011, Libya fell to The National Transitional Council (N.T.C.), which took full control, abolishing the Gaddafi-era system of national and local government. Tripoli lies at the western extremity of Libya close to

5395-423: The results of the 2014 election, and is led by the Muslim Brotherhood , backed by the wider Islamist coalition known as " Libya Dawn " and other militias, and aided by Qatar , Sudan , and Turkey . In addition to these, there are also smaller rival groups: the Islamist Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries , led by Ansar al-Sharia (Libya) , which has had the support of the GNC; the Islamic State of Iraq and

5478-410: The site by its natural harbor, flanked on the western shore by the small, easily defensible peninsula , on which they established their colony. The city then passed into the hands of the Greek rulers of Cyrenaica as Oea ( Greek : Ὀία, Oía ). Cyrene was a colony on the North African shore, a bit east of Tambroli and halfway to Egypt . The Carthaginians later wrested it again from the Greeks . By

5561-412: The southern shore of the Mediterranean between Tunisia in the west and Egypt in the east. Besides the city itself, the area included Cyrenaica (the Barca plateau), the chain of oases in the Aujila depression, Fezzan and the oases of Ghadames and Ghat , separated by sandy and stony wastelands. A 16th century Chinese source mentioned Tripoli and described its agricultural and textile products. In

5644-412: The state. Under the pretext of protecting its own citizens living in Tripoli from the Ottoman government, it declared war against the Ottomans on 29 September 1911, and announced its intention of annexing Tripoli. On 1 October 1911, a naval battle was fought at Prevesa , Greece, and three Ottoman vessels were destroyed. By the Treaty of Lausanne , Italian sovereignty over Tripolitania and Cyrenaica

5727-432: The streets demanding a democratic change in government as well as justice for the ones who suffered under Muammer Gaddafi's rule . These peaceful protests were faced with large violent crackdowns with government troops shooting protestors and allegedly running them over with tanks. A civil war eventually broke out. The anti-Gaddafi forces formed a committee named the National Transitional Council , on 27 February 2011. It

5810-406: The surrender of their weapons to actively asserting a continuing political role as "guardians of the revolution", with hundreds of local armed groups filling the complex security vacuum left by the fall of Gaddafi. Before the official end of hostilities between loyalist and opposition forces, there were reports of sporadic clashes between rival militias and vigilante revenge killings. In dealing with

5893-400: The west of Tripoli, thus increasing the threat to pro-Gaddafi forces in the capital. During the subsequent battle of Zawiya , loyalist forces besieged the city and eventually recaptured it by 10 March. As the 2011 military intervention in Libya commenced on 19 March to enforce a U.N. no-fly zone over the country, the city once again came under air attack. It was the second time that Tripoli

5976-511: Was "TL". Furthermore, in 1927, the Italians founded the Tripoli International Fair ,with the goal of promoting Tripoli's economy. This is the oldest trade fair in Africa. The so-called Fiera internazionale di Tripoli was one of the main international "Fairs" in the colonial world in the 1930s, and was internationally promoted together with the Tripoli Grand Prix as a showcase of Italian Libya . The Italians created

6059-503: Was a native of Leptis Magna . In spite of centuries of Roman habitation, the only visible Roman remains, apart from scattered columns and capitals (usually integrated in later buildings), is the Arch of Marcus Aurelius from the 2nd century AD. The fact that Tripoli has been continuously inhabited, unlike e.g. , Sabratha and Leptis Magna, has meant that the inhabitants have either quarried material from older buildings (destroying them in

6142-563: Was acknowledged by the Ottomans, although the caliph was permitted to exercise religious authority. Italy officially granted autonomy after the war, but gradually occupied the region. Originally administered as part of a single colony, Tripoli and its surrounding province were a separate colony from 26 June 1927 to 3 December 1934, when all Italian possessions in North Africa were merged into one colony. By 1938, Tripoli had 108,240 inhabitants, including 39,096 Italians. Tripoli underwent

6225-572: Was assigned as a result of a very low-turnout elections in 2014 and was internationally recognized as the "Libyan Government" until the establishment of GNA ; and the rival Islamist government of the General National Congress (GNC), also called the " National Salvation Government ", based in the capital Tripoli . In December 2015, these two factions agreed in principle to unite as the Government of National Accord . Although

6308-459: Was bombed since the 1986 U.S. airstrikes, and the second time since the 1986 airstrike that bombed Bab al-Azizia , Gaddafi's heavily fortified compound. In July and August, Libyan online revolutionary communities posted tweets and updates on attacks by rebel fighters on pro-government vehicles and checkpoints. In one such attack, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah Senussi were targets. The government, however, denied revolutionary activity inside

6391-553: Was buried in Tripoli after his death in 1565. His body was taken from Malta , where he had fallen during the Ottoman siege of the island , to a tomb in the Sidi Darghut Mosque which he had established close to his palace in Tripoli. The palace has since disappeared (supposedly it was situated between the so-called "Ottoman prison" and the Arch of Marcus Aurelius ), but the mosque, along with his tomb, still stands, close to

6474-414: Was initiated by Gaddafi in 1982. Ministry of defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences ), also known as a department of defence or defense , is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces , found in states where the government is divided into ministries or departments. Such a department usually includes all branches of

6557-569: Was meant to act as an interim authority in the rebel-controlled areas. After the government began to roll back the rebels and a number of atrocities were committed by both sides, a multinational coalition led by NATO forces intervened on 21 March 2011, with the stated intention to protect civilians against attacks by the government's forces. Shortly thereafter, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Gaddafi and his entourage on 27 June 2011. Gaddafi

6640-700: Was ousted from power in the wake of the fall of Tripoli to the rebel forces on 20 August 2011, although pockets of resistance held by forces loyal to Gaddafi's government held out for another two months, especially in Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte , which he declared the new capital of Libya on 1 September 2011. His Jamahiriya regime came to an end the following month, culminating on 20 October 2011 with Sirte's capture, NATO airstrikes against Gaddafi's escape convoy, and his killing by rebel fighters. The Libyan revolution led to defected regime military members who joined rebel forces, revolutionary brigades that defected from

6723-551: Was reported that the Libyan National Army deployed large forces on the border with Algeria and demanded to transfer 32 thousand square kilometres of disputed territories under its control, and in case of refusal - threatened with military solution of the issue. On 13 August 2024 the Benghazi parliament voted to end the term of the Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh , in an attempt to dissolve

6806-475: Was the only one of the three to survive antiquity, and became known as Tripoli, within a wider region known as Tripolitania . Neighboring Sabratha was sometimes referred to by sailors as "Old Tripoli". The city was founded in the 7th century BC by the Phoenicians , who gave it the Libyco-Berber name Oyat ( Punic : 𐤅𐤉‬‬𐤏‬𐤕‬, wyʿt ), suggesting that the city may have been built upon an existing native Berber city. The Phoenicians were probably attracted to

6889-584: Was the site of pro-Gaddafi rallies. The city defenses loyal to Gaddafi included the military headquarters at Bab al-Aziziyah (where Gaddafi's main residence was located) and the Mitiga International Airport . At the latter, on 13 March, Ali Atiyya, a colonel of the Libyan Air Force , defected and joined the revolution. In late February, rebel forces took control of Zawiya , a city approximately 50 km (31 mi) to

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