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68-690: The foundation of the Libyan Coast Guard dates back to 1970 when the previously separate customs and harbor police were joined in a single command within the Libyan Navy and under the Ministry of Defense. In 2006–2008 the Coast Guard fleet was renewed and equipped with 'stealth' 30- knot (56 km/h; 35 mph) cruising speed PV30-LS patrol boats designed and produced by the Croatian company Adria-Mar. In 2017

136-573: 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

204-628: 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

272-526: A former trawler converted in the 1970 called Nour: (Stricken in 2002) Armament unknown Origin: [REDACTED]   Libya (possibly) 4 × Polnocny-class landing ship Armament Origin: [REDACTED]   Soviet Union Facilities at Tripoli with foreign technicians for repair of vessels of up to 6,000 tonnes deadweight (DWT); a 3,200-ton lift floating dock; floating docks at Benghazi and Tobruk. Benghazi Benghazi ( / b ɛ n ˈ ɡ ɑː z i / ) ( lit. Son of [the] Ghazi )

340-793: 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

408-604: 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

476-578: 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

544-571: 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

612-431: 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

680-480: 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

748-551: 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

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816-470: 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

884-497: 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

952-499: 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

1020-517: Is believed to have mined the Red Sea a few kilometres south of the Suez Canal . Approximately nineteen ships were damaged, including a Soviet container ship which was the first to be hit on 9 July. The Islamic Jihad Organisation took responsibility for the incident. However, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak did not believe the claims and blamed Muammar Gaddafi and Libya. Other sources agreed after it

1088-523: Is questionable. Six obsolete Foxtrot-class submarines were transferred from the Soviet Union between 1976 and 1982. They were manned by Soviet-trained Libyan crews while maintenance was done by Soviet personnel. No routine patrols were conducted since 1984. Four were decommissioned (311−314) prior to the Libyan Civil War. The Al Hunain (316) was reported to be at Tripoli in dry dock in 2003, while

1156-579: 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

1224-653: Is the naval warfare branch of the Libyan Armed Forces . Established in November 1962, Libyan Navy was headed by Admiral Mansour Bader, Chief of Staff of the Libyan Naval Force. Before the First Libyan Civil War , it was a fairly typical small navy with a few missile frigates , corvettes and patrol boats to defend the coastline, but with a very limited self-defence capability. The navy has always been

1292-675: 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

1360-724: The Al Khyber (315) was reported as sea-going before 2011. In 2016, both Al Khyber and Al Hunain were non-operational. Dat Assawari (211) delivered by the United Kingdom in 1973. In 2015, it was serving as a training hulk in Tripoli. 1 × Koni-class frigate (Type 1159) Armament : Origin: [REDACTED]   Soviet Union 4 × Assad-class corvette Armament Origin: [REDACTED]   Italy 3 × Nanuchka-class corvette Armament Origin: [REDACTED]   Soviet Union Received 12 Osa II missile boats from

1428-579: 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

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1496-476: 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 ,

1564-738: 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

1632-449: 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

1700-654: The United States Sixth Fleet in March 1986 in the Action in the Gulf of Sidra , when one missile boat and a corvette were destroyed, and other ships were damaged by A-6 Intruder aircraft. Unusually, some of these attacks were performed successfully, with cluster bombs like the Mk.20 Rockeye which were designed as an anti-tank weapon. In July 1984, the roll-on/roll-off ferry Ghat

1768-604: The operation to liberate the city of Sirte from ISIL . The Libyan Navy assisted ground forces and blocked off sea escape routes for the militants. On 20 June 2016, the European Union states announced that the naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea , Operation Sophia, was extended until 2017, and helped train the Libyan Navy and coast guard . In 2021, the navy (except for Haftar's forces) will be under new leadership of

1836-464: 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

1904-478: 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

1972-565: 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

2040-573: The EU for funding the Libyan coast, calling the policy inhumane. He pointed to the conditions in Libyan Government refugee camps, in which migrants are held after interception. Visits by UN staff had shown these to be overcrowded and lacking basic necessities, refugees held at the camps reported sexual violence being committed by guards. Libyan Navy The Libyan Navy ( Arabic : قوات البحرية الليبية )

2108-567: The French, British, Italian, Dutch, and US navies. The British located a Soviet-made mine, which was most likely sold to Libya after 1981 and was laid to cause problems for Egypt. Second Battle of Zawiya . Ships (1985) According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies , a number of vessels from the Gaddafi era remain intact under GNU control in Tripoli, although serviceability

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2176-407: 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

2244-515: The MRTP-20 fast attack boat. As of June 2012, the Libyan Navy has been headed by Commodore Hassan Ali Bushnak, Chief of Staff of the Libyan Naval Force. The British Royal Navy along with the Libyan Navy held joint exercises at Dartmouth Naval College in the UK in June 2012. Libyan Navy ships under the command of Rida Issa, loyal to the internationally recognized Government of National Accord , took part in

2312-630: 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

2380-617: The Navy in 1970, extending the Navy's mission to include anti-smuggling and customs duties. The total personnel of the Libyan Navy is about 8,000. During the 2011 Libyan civil war several elements of the Libyan Navy were destroyed by NATO forces, including eight warships in the night before 20 May and one on 17 August. Two were also captured by the rebels at Benghazi . The navy began the process of purchasing new vessels in May 2012, mainly fast patrol boats for surveillance and border protection, including

2448-587: 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

2516-678: The Soviet Union between October 1976 and July 1980. In 2009, four were operational: Al Zuara (513), Al Ruha (515), Al Fikah (523) and Al Mathur (525), while eight were non-operational: Al Katum (511), Al Baida (517), Al Nabha (519), Al Safhra (521), Al Mosha (527), Al Sakab (529), Al Bitar (531) and Al Sadad (533). All were based at Tobruk. None remained in service after 2011. 9 × La Combattante II type fast attack craft ( Beir Grassa class) 6 × Natya-class minesweeper (Type 266ME) Armament Origin: [REDACTED]   Soviet Union 2 × Ham-class minesweeper Armament Origin: [REDACTED]   United Kingdom 1×

2584-489: 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

2652-465: 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

2720-491: 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

2788-515: The coast guard threatened the German humanitarian vessel Sea Watch 4 . The EU policy of funding the Libyan Coast Guard has been criticised on the grounds that intercepted migrants face mistreatment, reports of human rights abuses caused the German government to cease training the Libyan coast guard in 2023, EU funding continues. The United Nations high commissioner for human rights Zeid bin Ra'ad criticised

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2856-555: The coast guard were criticised for failing to respond to ten vessels in distress. During the 2015 European migrant crisis , the Libyan Coast Guard intercepted refugee and migrant boats travelling across the Mediterranean Sea , per a funding agreement reached with Frontex , the European border agency. The interceptions have been criticised as "worsening the crisis" and in November 2021 were reported to result in 27,500 people being returned to detention centres. In May 2021, Salvatore Quinci,

2924-581: The control of the Libyan National Army . Its first warships were delivered in 1966. These were two Ham-class minesweepers from the UK . Initially, the effective force was limited to smaller vessels, but this changed after the rise of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 1969. From this time, Libya started to buy armaments from Europe and the Soviet Union . The Customs and Harbour police were amalgamated with

2992-647: The export versions were well-armed and powerful ships. Another four Assad -class corvettes were acquired from Italy. These had Otomat long range missiles (in the Mk.I version without datalink for in-flight course correction) and modern artillery. They were less well-armed as anti-aircraft ships than the Nanuchkas but, with a displacement almost twice that of a typical fast attack craft , had anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, with sonar and light torpedoes . Libya's Navy first saw military action during an encounter with

3060-627: 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

3128-651: 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

3196-453: 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

3264-524: 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

3332-417: The mayor of Mazaro del Vallo , reported the second recent incident where fishermen were shot at by the coast guard, the later incident non fatality injuring one man. In July 2021 the Libyan Coast Guard was criticised for chasing and then shooting at a migrant boat. Later in July 2021, a former senior Libyan police officer accused the coast guard of robbing people, and of being people smugglers. In November 2021,

3400-473: The new Libyan President, Mohamed al-Menfi from the Government of National Unity . The Navy's primary mission is to defend the coast. A strengthening of the service was made in the 1970s; the Soviet Union sold six Foxtrot-class submarines , and though two of them were only averagely serviceable, they became the main threats to the United States Navy in the Mediterranean Sea. In the meantime, Libya bought four Russian Nanuchka-class corvettes , that even in

3468-414: 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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3536-406: 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

3604-440: 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

3672-442: 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

3740-402: 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

3808-816: 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

3876-401: 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

3944-400: The smallest of Libya's military branches and has always been dependent on foreign sources for equipment, spare parts, and training. Most of the Gaddafi-era fleet was destroyed in 2011. Since the start of the Second Libyan Civil War , the Libyan Navy is aligned with the Government of National Accord (GNA), led by the Presidential Council in Tripoli , apart from coastal patrol vessels under

4012-521: 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

4080-543: 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

4148-444: 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

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4216-413: 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

4284-419: 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

4352-420: 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

4420-439: 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

4488-415: 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

4556-426: Was learnt that the ship took fifteen days to complete a voyage that normally would take eight days, the head of the Libyan minelaying division was on board, and that, when inspected by French officials in Marseilles the aft door was damaged. Due to concerns about the safety and potential lost revenue from the canal, Egypt asked for assistance in sweeping the mines in a complex operation that involved minehunters from

4624-457: 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

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