Zuwarah, Zuwara, or Zwara ( ); () is a coastal city in north-western Libya.
Zuwara is primarily inhabited by indigenous Berbers people of Libya. The local Berber dialect, known locally as Zuwara Berber, is commonly spoken as a first language by the inhabitants of Zuwara.
Zuwara is famous for its beaches and seafood. It is situated west of Tripoli and from the border. It is the capital of the Nuqat al Khams district. Zuwarah consists of 49 districts.
History
The settlement was first mentioned by the traveller Abdallah al-Tijani in the years 1306-1309 as composed of two parts:
Zwara al-soughra ("Little Zwarah") and
Zwara al-koubra ("Greater Zwarah").
["Voyage du Scheikh Et-Tidjani dans la régence de Tunis pendant les années 706, 707 et 708 de l'hégire (1306-1309)", transl. by M. A. Rousseau, Journal Asiatique 1853, p. 121.] In the
Catalan Atlas (1375) it was called as Punta dar Zoyara. The town is mentioned by
Leo Africanus in the 16th century. It later served as the western outpost of
Italian Libya (1912–43), being the terminus of the now-defunct Italian Libya Railway from Tripoli to the east. Its artificial harbour shelters a motorized fishing fleet. Cereals, dates, and
esparto grass (used to make cordage, shoes, and paper) are local products.
It was in 1973 in Zuwara that Muammar Gaddafi first proclaimed the Libyan "Cultural Revolution".
2011 Libyan civil war
During the 2011 Libyan Civil War, the city was reported by Al Jazeera to be under control of the local anti-Gaddafi forces on 23 February 2011, and lost by the government of
Muammar Gaddafi.
Thousands of anti-government protesters, gathered in the Zuwara town square on 24 February, repulsed another Libyan Army attempt to retake the city. Loyalist forces used the pro-government towns of Jumayl and
Riqdalin to the south as bases for their attacks on the city.
However, from March onwards, the city was under the control of loyalist forces.
[NPR; "Militias In Libya Attack Protesters" ; February 24, 2011; Accessed 2001-02-24.] Amidst the August rebel coastal offensive, rebels took Zuwara on 18 August.
In September 2011, and following the fall of the Gaddafi government, Zuwara was the first City in Libya to democratically elect its local council.[ "The voice of Libya's minorities" ; November, 2011]
Economy
The city's Port of Zwara is used as a transfer point for smuggled fuel by the militias who fight the government. Often these vessels fly the flag of
Palau and are operated from a mailbox in the
Marshall Islands.
Climate
Zuwara has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification
BWh).
See also
Sources
-
Terence Frederick Mitchell, Ferhat. An Everyday Story of Berber Folk in and around Zuara (Libya), Köln, Köppe, 2007 -
External links
