AGreek colony namedEuesperides had existed in the area from around 525 BC. In the 3rd century BC, it was relocated and refounded as thePtolemaic city of Berenice. Berenice prospered under the Romans, and after the 3rd century AD it supersededCyrene andBarca as the centre of Cyrenaica. The city went into decline during theByzantine period and had already been reduced to a small town beforeits conquest by the Arabs. After around four centuries of peacefulOttoman rule, in 1911,Italy captured Benghazi and the rest ofTripolitania from theOttoman Empire. UnderItalian rule, Benghazi witnessed a period of extensive development and modernization, particularly in the second half of the 1930s under theItalian Libya colony. The city changed hands several times duringWorld War II and was heavily damaged in the process. After the war Benghazi was rebuilt and became the co-capital of the newly independentKingdom of Libya. Following the1969 coup d'état byMuammar Gaddafi, Benghazi lost its capital status and all government offices relocated toTripoli.
Benghazi remains a centre of Libyan commerce, industry, transport and culture, and one of the three largest cities in Libya withTripoli andMisrata. It continues to hold institutions and organizations normally associated with a capital city, including several national government buildings as well as theNational Library of Libya.
Archaeological evidence shows thatancient Greeks settled on the site of Benghazi in the late seventh century BC.[18] They called the cityEuesperides (Ancient Greek:Εὐεσπερίδες)[19] andHesperis (Ancient Greek:Ἑσπερίς).[20]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 was attributed to the fertility of the neighborhood, which gave rise to the mythological associations of the garden of theHesperides.[21] 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-SalmaniMarsh).
The city is first mentioned by ancient sources inHerodotus' account of the revolt of Barca and thePersian expedition toCyrenaica in c. 515 BC, where it is stated that the punitive force sent by thesatrap of Egypt conquered Cyrenaica as far west as Euesperides.[22] 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 asilphium plant, once the symbol of trade from Cyrenaica because of its use as 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 historianThucydides mentions a siege of the city in 414 BC, by Libyans who were probably theNasamones: Euesperides was saved by the unexpected arrival of theSpartan generalGylippus and his fleet, who were blown to Libya by contrary winds on their way toSicily.[23]
One of the Cyrenean kings whose fate is connected with the city is Arcesilaus IV. The king used hischariot victory at thePythian Games of 462 BC to attract new settlers to Euesperides, where Arcesilaus hoped to create 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 theBattiad 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 a board of chief magistrates (ephors) and a council of elders (gerontes). From 324 to 322 BC, the city supported the Spartan adventurerThibron, who attempted to establish his own kingdom in Cyrenaica, but was defeated.[24] The city came under the control ofPtolemy I and formed part of the breakaway kingdom ofMagas of Cyrene after 276 BC.[25]
In 246 BC, during the power struggle following Magas' death, his daughter Berenice marriedPtolemy III, bringing the region back under Ptolemaic control. Euesperides was relocated to a new site underneath Benghazi's modern city centre and renamedBerenice. The move may have been due to thesilting 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.[26][27]
Berenice later became a Roman city and greatly prospered for 600 years. The city superseded Cyrene and Barca as the chief center of Cyrenaica after the 3rd century AD[28] and during thePersian campaigns; by 642–643, when it was conquered by the Muslim Arabs and partially destroyed, it had dwindled to an insignificant village among magnificent historic ruins.[citation needed]
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 ofMarsa ibn Ghazi appears.[clarification needed]
Benghazi had 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 theKaramanlis from 1711 to 1835; it then passed under directOttoman rule until 1911. Greek andItalian sponge fishermen worked its coastal waters. In 1858, and again in 1874, Benghazi was devastated bybubonic plague.
The colonial Italians created the "Lungomare" (sea-walk) of Benghazi and constructed many other buildings.Littorio Palace in Benghazi was the seat of the Cyrenaican regional assembly.
In 1911, Benghazi was invaded and conquered by the Italians. Nearly half the local population of Cyrenaica under the leadership ofOmar Mukhtar resisted the Italian occupation.[32]
In the early 1930s, the revolt was over and the Italians—under governorItalo 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 was populated by more than 20,000Italian 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.[citation needed]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 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. DuringOperation Compass the city was captured from the Italians byCombe Force on 6 February 1941.
It was taken again duringOperation 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 fatefulBattle of El Alamein–106 kilometres (66 miles) fromAlexandria, Egypt–British troops led by generalBernard Montgomery again defeated the Afrika Corps which then made a long steady retreat westward passing through Benghazi for the final time. On 20 November, Benghazi was captured by theBritish Eighth Army and thereafter held by the British.
Heavily bombed inWorld War II, Benghazi was later rebuilt with the country's newly found oil wealth as a gleaming showpiece ofmodern Libya. It became the capital city ofEmirate of Cyrenaica (1949–1951) underIdris Senussi I. In 1951, Cyrenaica was merged with Tripolitania and Fezzan to form the independentKingdom of Libya, of which both Benghazi and Tripoli were capital cities.
Support for the Senussi dynasty remained strong in Cyrenaica.
Benghazi lost its capital status when the Free Officers under the leadership ofMuammar Gaddafi staged acoup 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 the year 2000 of the arena offootball clubAlahly Benghazi S.C., following anti-government protests.[35][36]On 15 April 1986, U.S. Air Force and Navy planesbombed Benghazi and Tripoli. PresidentRonald Reagan justified the attacks by claiming Libya was responsible for terrorism directed at the United States, including thebombing of La Belle discothèque in West Berlin ten days before.[citation needed]
Court square in Benghazi, April 2011. At the central place for gatherings and demonstrations the walls are draped with pictures of casualties, mourners passing by.A large crowd of anti-Gaddafi protesters from in and around Benghazi took to the streets on 6 July 2011, amassing in front of the Kateba and the courtyard.
In February 2011, peaceful protests erupted in Benghazi that were brutally suppressed by Gaddafi's armed forces and loyalists. The violence urged the people to fight back and try to overthrow Gaddafi from power inThe Libyan Revolution. At least 500 people were killed in the protests against the government.[37]
A young Benghazian carrying (deposed) King Idris' photo. Support of theSenussi dynasty has traditionally been strong inCyrenaica.[38]
The formerLibyan flag used in theKingdom of Libya was used by many protesters as anopposition flag.[39][40] Demonstrators were also seen carrying images of King Idris I. Benghazi and theCyrenaica have been traditional strongholds of the royalSenussi dynasty.[41]
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.[42] Residents organised to direct traffic and collect refuse.[16] 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 the city. Two local radio stations, operated byVoice of Free Libya, along with a newspaper, were also established.[16][43]
On 19 March, pro-Gaddafi forces almost defeated the rebellion when they began attacking the city of Benghazi in a majoroffensive, but were forced back the next day when NATO forces began implementingUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.[45]
On 1 June, explosives were detonated in a car near theTibesti Hotel,[46] 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 the Tibesti was cordoned off.[citation needed]
On 19 May 2012, residents of Benghazi voted in historiclocal 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 ofAnsar al-Sharia, a group of Islamist militants, also known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,[47] working with the local government to manage security in Benghazi.[48] U.S. AmbassadorJ. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service Information Management Officer (IMO)Sean Smith, and CIA contractors and formerNavy SEALsTyrone S. Woods andGlen Doherty were killed during a series of raids, commencing at nightfall and continuing into the next morning. Ten others were injured.
Following the outbreak of thesecond Libyan Civil War in 2014, Benghazi became the subject of heavy fighting between theLibyan National Army-alignedHouse of Representatives government, and the IslamistShura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries andISIL-alignedWilayat 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 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 GeneralKhalifa Haftar declared the city cleared of the Shura Council on 5 July 2017.[49] 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.[50] LNA captured the last militant-held district in December 2017.[51]
On 23 October 2020, the5+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.[52][53] On 10 March 2021, an interimunity government was formed, which was slated to remain in place until thenext Libyan presidential election scheduled for 10 December.[54] However, the election has been delayed several times[55][56][57] since, effectively rendering the unity government in power indefinitely, causing tensions which threaten to reignite the war.
Benghazi district between 2001 and 2007Benghazi district since 2007
Benghazi District is one of Libya's 22shabiyahs (people's districts).
In 2022, 18 provinces were declared by 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.[58]
There are 32 Mu'tamarat Sha'bia in the District of Benghazi.
BenghaziBaladiyah is divided into 32Basic People's Congress administrative divisions, in which the responsibilities of the corresponding political units of the same name fall. The official 32 Basic People's Congresses of Benghazi are:[59]
Omar Al Mukhtar Street in the Italian quarter was traditionally home to an urbane demographic, before many families left the old town to resettle elsewhere in the city.
As with other cities in Libya, there is a reasonable amount of ethnic diversity in Benghazi. The people of eastern Libya, Benghazi included, have in the past always been of predominantlyArab descent. In recent times, however, there has been an influx ofAfrican immigrants into Benghazi. There are also manyEgyptian immigrants in Benghazi. A smallGreek community also exists in Benghazi. The Greek island ofCrete is a short distance from Benghazi, and many families in Benghazi today bear Cretan surnames. There are even a fewItalian-related families, left from the colonial times beforeWorld 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 theBanu Sulyam migrated to Cyrenaica; each sub-tribe from the Sa'adi historically controlled a section of Cyrenaica. Benghazi and its surrounding areas were controlled byBarghathi tribe. In modern times, Benghazi has seen a lot of Libyans from different parts of the country move into the city, especially since the Kingdom era. Many came to Benghazi fromMisrata. 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 the local Bedouin population as well as those arriving following the Italian war from western Libya.
The Atiq Mosque in Maydan al-Baladiya is the oldest mosque in Benghazi. The majority of people in the city are Sunni Muslims.
The predominant religion in Benghazi isIslam. Almost all of the city's inhabitants areSunni 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 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 traditionalMaliki 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.[60] TheSenussi order from which the royal dynasty sprang has traditionally enjoyed strong support in Benghazi and the Cyrenaica.
For Muslims, there are many mosques throughout Benghazi; the oldest and best known (such as theAtiq and Osman mosques) are located in and around themedina.
There is also a small Christian community in the city. The Roman CatholicApostolic Vicariate of Benghazi's Franciscan Church of the Immaculate Conception serves Benghazi's Latin Catholic community of roughly 4,000; there is also a decommissionedcathedral church (1929–1939; closed 1977; currently abandoned). ForEgyptian Copts, there is aCoptic Orthodox church (which was formerly the grand synagogue) with two servingpriests.[61]
Jews have lived in Benghazi, asthey did elsewhere in Libya, from Roman times until 1967 when most were airlifted out after a series of riots in the years after the1948 Arab–Israeli War. However, there are no Jews remaining in Libya today.[62]
Education in Benghazi, as throughout Libya, is compulsory and paid entirely by taxpayers. Compulsory education continues untilninth grade. There are many public primary and secondary schools scattered throughout the city, as well as some private schools.[65]
Benghazi is one of the sub-regions of the area referred to asCyrenaica, the others being theJebel Akhdar and the coastal plain running east ofApollonia. Cyrenaica is surrounded by desert on three sides, hence in ancient times the most accessible civilisation was to the North, across the Mediterranean, inCrete andGreece, only 400 kilometres (250 miles) away.[66]
Benghazi is surrounded by the "barr", aridsteppe. The Jebel Akhdar, literally, "the Green Mountain", just north of Benghazi, rises to the east. Here the vegetation and climate is more Mediterranean in feel with none of the desert landscapes found further south. A large section of the western Jebel Akhdar is taken up by the fertile Marj plain. Further east is the second level of the Jebel Akhdar, between 500 metres (1,600 feet) and over 875 m (2,871 ft) above sea level, often thickly wooded and cut byravines. Annual rainfall here, especially around Cyrene, can reach 500 millimetres (20 inches). It was this fertile site northeast of Benghazi that the Greeks chose for their settlement. The soil in Benghazi is a rich red colour and veryclayey.Sirocco winds are not uncommon in the city, and as such, many of Benghazi's smaller streets and buildings can be quite dusty.[67]
To the north, below the steep cliffs of theplateau, lies a narrow belt of Mediterranean farmland. Olives and other Mediterranean fruits and vegetables are grown here. To the south, the forest and farmland gives way to juniper bushmaquis and pre-desert scrub with some winter grazing.[citation needed]
Al-Buduzeera is one of the largest and most popular parks in Benghazi.
Although Benghazi does not have a high percentage of green space per resident, there are a few public parks and green recreational areas in the city. Perhaps the most famous is the zoological garden and theme park inAl-Fuwayhat also known asBenghazi Zoo; the park is referred to locally asal-Bosco, an Italian name for wood (as in "Belleau Wood", not as in "wood plank"). The park is a combination of a zoo with trees planted during Italian rule and which contains wild cats, primates, elephants, birds and other animals, and a small theme park containing electrical rides, added later in the 1980s as part of aredevelopment of the entire site. It is one of the most popular parks in Benghazi, and is very busy on public holidays, as well as amongst school children andscouts on outings.
OnGamal Abdel Nasser Street is 23 July Park, another large green space which faces theTibesti Hotel and borders the waterfront. The park is popular amongst teenagers, and families on Thursday nights (as Friday is a day off work throughout Libya). Another large and popular park is al-Buduzira in North Benghazi on the al-'Uruba Road inal-Kwayfiya. The park surrounds a natural lake, and is more rugged in nature than the city parks. A section of al-Buduzira is also a water park with large slides, whilst the southern part of the park has picnic areas which are popular in the summers.
Benghazi has a warmsemi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationBSh) with hot and dry, prolonged summers and mild to cool, slightly wet winters. In the north of the city lies the Mediterranean-climate 'Jabal Al-Akhdar' (Green Mountains), and in the south the climate is becoming desert-like. Summers in Benghazi are hot and rainless, but with high levels of humidity. Winters are mild with occasional rain. Annual rainfall is low at 270 mm (11 in) per year. The city's local water supply is supplemented by groundwater transported from the aquifers of southern Libya along theGreat Manmade River.
The cubic tower block Al Da'waa al-Islamiya is an important office building in Benghazi; many small and large companies in the city are based in the tower.
Benghazi, as the principal city of eastern Libya, is one of Libya's major economic centres. The city has an important port which is vital to the economy, as Libya imports many foodstuffs and manufactured products. Benghazi is also an industrial and commercial centre in Libya. Major manufactured goods includeprocessed food,textiles, tanning, processed salt andconstruction materials, particularlycement;[28] a large cement factory is located in al-Hawari. Food processing is based on local fish, imported goods, and the produce of irrigated coastal lowlands and the nearby Jabal al-Akdhar Mountains, including cereal, dates, olives, wool and meat.[71]
Finance is also important to the city's economy, with the Libyan Bank of Commerce and Development maintaining branches in Benghazi; the Bank's headquarters is a high office tower on Gamal Abdel Nasser Street in el-Berka. Other large banks include theCentral Bank of Libya office in the city centre.
Theoil industry drives the city's commerce. Large national companies such as the Al-Brega Oil Marketing Company and theArabian Gulf Oil Company are important to the city's economy and employ many people. An increase in consumer prices has been coupled with an increase in the importance of the retail sector to the city's economy.[when?] In recent years, international franchises such asUnited Colors of Benetton,H&M andNike have opened in Benghazi.
Tourism is still in its very early stages in Libya. The industry is however growing in importance in Benghazi. The majority of tourists that visit Eastern Libya use Benghazi as a base for which to explore the Greek ruins in Cyrene or to make desert excursions south inKufra. The two main hotels in the city are theTibesti Hotel andUzu Hotel, and several other hotels have opened in recent years[when?] to cater for increased demand. Handicrafts are found in the manysouks in the city, but are of little significance to the economy.
Skanska built a good connection of speedways and flyovers in the decades after the Libyan revolution in 1969; this has made the transport of goods between Benghazi and other cities easier. Benghazi's air transport usesBenina International Airport; numerous daily flights leave for Tripoli and connections are also available to other African, Asian and European cities.
In April 2012, the Libyan economy ministry announced plans for creating afree trade area in Benghazi.[72] After the permanent ceasefire of the second civil war, there has been a rise in business in Libya. In 2021, theLibyan Business Council set up the Benghazi International Trade Fair in 2021.[73]
The Jeliana Bridge connects Jeliana with the city centre and old town.
Benghazi is a transport hub in Eastern Libya and is an important city on the northern coastal road that crosses the country. An efficiently designed system of roads, bridges and underpasses cover Benghazi, however traffic jams and poorly maintained streets are not uncommon. Amicrobus system covers many areas of the city and has its base in Al-Funduq. National and international bus services also leave from Al-Fudnuq from the central bus station. In 2010,earthworks were underway in the city for a rail network which will traverse northern Libya.
The Benghazi port is a vital terminal for the region, and allows for the import and export of national and international goods and food products.
The city's road network is generally well designed. An efficient system of highways,overpasses,ring roads andunderpasses serve the city, and allow for the transport of goods and vehicles. The roads are not always well maintained, however, and often have incorrect, poorly visible or no road markings, as well as potholes in some roads and inner-city streets. In recent years, a rapid increase in car ownership has meant that traffic jams, lack of parking spaces and overcrowding are also not uncommon, especially on smaller streets. Road accidents are also on the rise because of the increase in vehicles and the subsequent lax in attention given by authorities to dangerous driving.[74][75][76] In a rare RTA conflict health study, road traffic accidents were studied during the period of the 2011 armed conflict, in which Benghazi was a focal point of events. It was found that while the number of road traffic accidents had decreased during the period of the war, the morbidity and mortality of the injured had increased significantly.[77]
The 3rd Ring Road is the main highway circling the city.
There is no systemised public transport system in Benghazi despite the city's size and significance. A popular system of microbuses has developed in recent years; bus journeys run on fixed routes and passengers can embark and disembark anywhere on the route. Most microbuses stop at Al-Funduq or have the end of Souq Al-Jarid in Al-Funduq as their final destination. National and international coach services depart and arrive at Benghazi's coach station at Al-Funduq with regular journeys to Tripoli, as well as international services to Cairo, Amman and Damascus.
Until the 1960s there were two small railways, built by the Italians, departing from Benghazi and served with classicalLittorine: Benghazi-Barce and Benghazi-Soluch. But recently huge railway plans were supported by Gaddafi: work started in September 2008 on a new railway network that would connect to major cities of western Libya atSirte.Russian Railways is responsible for the three-year contract. In the future, a rail link may be built to both Tunisia and Egypt forming a North African coastal rail network.
Benghazi Zoo (al-Bosco) in al-Fuwayhat, one of Benghazi's greenest and wealthiest neighbourhoods
The city is divided into many neighbourhoods, some of which were founded during Italian Colonial rule and many which have developed as a result of modernurban sprawl. The different neighbourhoods vary in their levels of economic prosperity, as well as their cultural, historic and social atmosphere. Generally, the city is roughly divided into the following areas: Central Benghazi (colloquially referred to as al-Blaad by locals) – includes the medina, and the old quarter, Central Districts which circle the downtown – Al-Sabri, Sidi Abayd, Sidi Hsayn, Al-Berka, Al-Salmani, Al-Hadaa'ik, Al-Fuwayhat and Al-Keesh, Central Suburbs – Al-Laythi, Bu Atni, Al-Quwarsha, Al-Hawari, Coastal Districts – Al-Kwayfiya (North), Garyounis, Bu-Fakhra and Jarrutha (South), and the Distant Suburbs – Gimeenis, Benina and Sidi Khalifa.
Central Benghazi is where the majority of Benghazi's historical monuments are located, and has the city's most popular tourist attractions. Virtually all of Benghazi's theatres, libraries, best clothing stores, markets and old mosques can be found there. The Italian quarter is also located in the centre. The central districts are mostly residential and commercial areas such as Sidi Hsayn. The central suburbs are almost entirely residential and more like little towns in their own right; Al-Quwarsha is a good example of this. The coastal districts (especially the southern districts) are where Benghazi's beaches can be found. Some sections have become more popular as residential areas in recent years (such as Qanfuda). These areas are still primarily recreational however, and many beachcondominium resorts (known locally aschalets) have been built in previous years such as those at al-Nakheel beach, and the Nayrouz condominiums.
Benghazi is one of the cultural centres of Libya and is a base for tourists, visitors and academics in the region. Throughout its history, Benghazi has developed with a certain level of independence from the moreMaghreb oriented capital Tripoli. This has influenced the city, and as such, the cultural atmosphere in Benghazi is more Arab in nature than that in Tripoli. An influx of immigrants including Egyptian, Iraqi, Palestinian, Sudanese and Syrian immigrants have also influenced the city's culture to a certain extent in recent years.
The city centre contains a few local theatres, as well as the Dar al-Kutub National Library in Al-Funduq, where the works of popular local novelists likeSadeq Naihoum and Khalifa al-Fakhri can be found. Different architectural styles attest to the different empires that have controlled the city throughout history. Sport is also important in the city; two of Libya's most successful football clubs are based in Benghazi.
There is a variety of architectural styles in Benghazi, which reflect the number of times the city has changed hands throughout its history. Arab, Ottoman and Italian rule[78] have influenced the different streetscapes, buildings and quarters in Benghazi.
Ancient architectural remains of the Greek and later Roman settlement of Berenice can be found by the Italian lighthouse. There is a trace of the 3rd century BC wall built by the Greeks, four Roman peristyle houses, six wine vats. A Byzantine church also exists on the site, with a mosaic still intact. These ruins formed the northern part of the ancient city, which extended south and east but now lies buried beneath the modern city.
The next oldest section of the city is theMedina quarter, which began to grow sometime under Medieval Arab rule, and is still intact today. This quarter stretches out from the Northern shores of the harbour, and covers an area roughly bounded by Ahmed Rafiq al-Mahdawi Street to the North-west, al-Jezayir Street to the South-east and 23 July Street to the South-west. The heart of the medina is Maydan al-Hurriya (Freedom Square); to the northeast of this is the coveredSouq al-Jareed.[79]
Al-Berka Palace in Benghazi was built in two parts. The front façade was built by the Ottomans in the late 19th century, the two side sections were later added during Italian rule.
The largest Ottoman architectural monument in Benghazi is the late 19th-century Ottoman palace in El-Berka; built during the rule of Rashid Pasha II. The front elevation was completed in 1895, whilst the side sections were added later during Italian rule. The white and green structure houses 360 rooms; and is on a tract of land whereGamal Abdel Nasser Street meets al-Saqzali Street; south of the28 March football stadium.
The house of Omar Pasha Mansour El Kikhia, an Ottoman Pasha from a prominent Benghazi family, represents a good example of Ottoman residential architecture with several balconies, stone archways, and an open courtyard containing a fountain. The home was recently restored, remodeled and converted into the Bait-al Medina al-Thaqafi museum.
Italian lighthouse in Benghazi, built in 1922 during Italian colonial rule
Benghazi came under Italian rule in the early part of the 20th century. Some examples ofItalianate, as well asmodernist colonial architecture from this period remain today. Under the governorships of GeneralsErnesto Mombelli andAttilio Teruzzi in the 1920s, the buildings commissioned in Benghazi had an eclectic architectural language that embodied a Western conception of Eastern architecture. An example of this is theMunicipal palace built in 1924, which stands in Maydan al-Hurriya (Freedom Square). The building combinesMoorish arches with Italianate motifs on the façade. Italians even did the first architectural plan of Benghazi.[80] in the 1930s, with a newrailway station and promenade.
The largest colonial building from this Italian period is theBenghazi Cathedral in Maydan El Catedraeya (Cathedral Square), which was built in the 1920s and has two large distinct domes.[81]
Benghazi was heavily bombed during World War II,[78] and so the majority of buildings in the city are examples of modern or contemporary architecture. The central business district was built mostly in the 1960s and 1970s with Libya's newfound oil wealth. The highest building in Benghazi is the Tibesti Hotel on Gamal Abdel Nasser Street built in 1989. Another prominent example of modern architecture in Benghazi is the Da'wah al-Islamiyah Building, which has a series of distinctive cubes piled in the shape of a pyramid.
Important colonial buildings designed during Italian rule include the Berenice Cinema (currently under renovation) which was designed Marcello Piacentini and Luigi Piccinato in 1928.[82]
Benghazi's main football stadium under renovation as of October 2024
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, and as such, has some of the best sports facilities in the country. The city has various sporting centres of different standards, such as football stadia, beach clubs (where many water sports are played), as well as several other public and private facilities. Benghazi has hosted many national sports events throughout the years, as well as more significant international competitions such as theAfrican Cup of Nations.
Football is the most-popular sport in Benghazi, and two of Libya's most-successful football clubs,Al-Ahly Benghazi andAl-Nasr Benghazi, are based in the city. The two teams have won theLibyan Premier League five times; Al Ahly four and Al Nasr only one. The most-important football event that took place in Benghazi was the1982 African Cup of Nations. The city hosted six group games and a semifinal in theMarch 28 Stadium, Libya's second-largest stadium.
The largest sporting centre in Benghazi is the Medina al-Riyadhia (Sports City). The complex is situated just south of the city centre, and houses the 28 March Stadium, and the Slayman al Tharrat basketball stadium – several matches of the2009 FIBA Africa Championship were hosted at the arena.[83] The complex also has a sports hall for indoor sports, a tennis stadium and several small tennis courts. The facility was built in the 1950s and is therefore quite outdated; the stadia have nonetheless undergone maintenance work in recent years. Sports City was recently closed down for a complete redevelopment of the site. As of 2009[update], the 28 March Stadium was undergoing demolition work, and a new 45,000 all seater stadium was to be constructed in its place. A second smaller stadium was to be built on-site, and the entire site was to undergo redevelopment before its reopening in 2011, and its use in the 2013 African Nations Cup.
The Eastern suburb of Sidi Khalifa accommodates an equestrian sports facility. The 'Martyrs of Benghazi's Riding Club' boasts a number of female members who, at least until 2016, engaged in sportive competition.[84]
Benghazi is a coastal city, and its beaches are an important location for sporting activities. The coast at Jeliana is home to the Milaha Beach Club amongst others. Wind surfing and swimming are two of the most popular water sports. There are also several contact sport clubs in the city –judo andtaekwondo are popular men's sports in Benghazi. In recent times,rugby sevens has seen great success with three clubs in the vicinity. Gyms have also become more popular in the city in recent years, because of a greater concern for healthy living amongst Libyans.
Food and drink is very important to the culture of the people of Benghazi, as it is in the rest of Libya. Many of the dishes and ingredients used are passed down as tradition from generation to generation. The main ingredients that are used in their cuisine are olive oil, garlic, palm dates, grains, and milk. These products are natural to this area, and these ingredients are very common to much of North Africa and the Mediterranean. Another tradition of Libyan culinary culture is tea. Tea from Benghazi has a uniquely thick, bitter taste. Tea drinking is a social activity that close friends and relatives usually take part in.
Benghazi is home to many distinctive dishes that can be prepared at home.Bazin (bread) is one of the most well known of these dishes. Bazin is a dish consisting of a small loaf of heated dough and a meat or vegetable sauce. The dough can be ripped into bite-sized pieces and dipped into the sauce. This dish uses essential ingredients such as garlic and oil. One common dessert that can be found in Benghazi is deep fried dates. These are often served with milk.[85]
^Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013ISBN978-88-209-9070-1), p. 838
^Cyrenaica suffered oppression, particularly under the fascist dictatorMussolini. About 125,000 Libyans were forced into concentration camps, about one-third of whom perished (mainly because of epidemics)
^Keegan, John.Atlas of World War II. Harper Collins Publishers, 2006, p. 62, line 4.
^Clark, Nick (July 2004)."Education in Libya".World Education News and Reviews. Archived fromthe original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved5 February 2013.
^Corcos, David; Simon, Rachel (2008).Encyclopaedia Judaica (2nd ed.). The Gale Group.
^"Benina Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived fromthe original on 10 September 2023. Retrieved10 September 2023.
Rosamilia, Emilio (2023).La città del silfio. Istituzioni, culti ed economia di Cirene classica ed ellenistica attraverso le fonti epigrafiche (in Italian). Pisa: Scuola Normale Superiore.ISBN9788876427367.
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