Get Recommendations For Your Trip
Popular Destinations
Libya Tourism
Libya History
For most of their history, the peoples of Libya have been subjected to varying degrees of foreign control. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals and Byzantines ruled all or parts of Libya. Although the Greeks and Romans left impressive ruins at Cyrene, Leptis Magna and Sabratha, little else remains today to testify to the presence of these ancient cultures.
The Arabs conquered North Africa in the seventh century AD. In the following centuries, most of the indigenous peoples adopted Islam and the Arabic language and culture. The Ottoman Turks conquered the area in the 16th century. The provinces of Cyrenaica (now eastern Libya), Tripolitania (west) and Fezzan (south) remained part of their empire - although at times virtually autonomous - until Italy invaded in 1911. Italian control over territory outside Tripoli remained weak until the late 1920s and resistance subsided only after the execution of Omar Mukhtar in 1931.
In 1934, Italy adopted the name "Libya" (used by the Greeks for all of North Africa, except Egypt) as the official name of the colony. Libyan resistance to Italian occupation between the two World Wars was led by the Sanussiya religious brotherhood. Its head, Sidi Idriss al-Senussi, was recognised by the Italians as Emir of Cyrenaica, but had lived in exile in Egypt since 1922. He returned to Libya in 1942, where he was subsequently invited to become Emir of Tripolitania. From 1943 to 1951, Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were under British administration; the French controlled Fezzan. Under the terms of the 1947 peace treaty with the Allies, Italy relinquished all claims to Libya.
On 21 November 1949, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution stating that Libya should become independent before 1 January 1952. Sidi Idris represented Libya in the subsequent UN negotiations. When Libya declared its independence on December 24, 1951, it was the first country to achieve independence through the United Nations. Libya was proclaimed a constitutional and hereditary monarchy under the now King Idris I. The discovery of significant oil reserves in 1959 and the subsequent income from petroleum sales enabled what had been one of the world's poorest countries to become extremely wealthy, as measured by per capita GDP. King Idris ruled the Kingdom of Libya until he was overthrown in a military-led coup on 1 September 1969. The new regime, headed by the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic. Col. Muammar Al Qadhafi emerged as leader of the RCC and eventually as de facto head of state, a position he still holds. Qadhafi became known as the “Brother Leader of the Revolution”, but his only official position is Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Seeking new directions, the RCC's motto became "freedom, socialism, and unity." It pledged itself to remove backwardness, take an active role in the Palestinian Arab cause, promote Arab unity, and encourage domestic policies based on social justice, non-exploitation, and an equitable distribution of wealth.
An early objective of the new revoltionary government was withdrawal of all foreign military installations from Libya. Following negotiations, British military bases at Tobruk and nearby El Adem closed in March 1970, and U.S. facilities at Wheelus Air Force Base near Tripoli closed in June 1970. That July, the Libyan Government ordered the expulsion of several thousand Italian residents. By 1971, libraries and cultural centres operated by foreign governments were closed. Libya claimed leadership of Arab and African revolutionary forces and sought active roles in various international organisations. In the late 1970s, Libyan embassies were redesignated as "people's bureaux", as Qadhafi sought to portray all Libyan policy as an expression of the popular will. The people's bureaux, aided by Libyan religious, political, educational, and business institutions overseas, exported Qadhafi's revolutionary philosophy abroad.
Libya Tourism
The Arabs conquered North Africa in the seventh century AD. In the following centuries, most of the indigenous peoples adopted Islam and the Arabic language and culture. The Ottoman Turks conquered the area in the 16th century. The provinces of Cyrenaica (now eastern Libya), Tripolitania (west) and Fezzan (south) remained part of their empire - although at times virtually autonomous - until Italy invaded in 1911. Italian control over territory outside Tripoli remained weak until the late 1920s and resistance subsided only after the execution of Omar Mukhtar in 1931.
In 1934, Italy adopted the name "Libya" (used by the Greeks for all of North Africa, except Egypt) as the official name of the colony. Libyan resistance to Italian occupation between the two World Wars was led by the Sanussiya religious brotherhood. Its head, Sidi Idriss al-Senussi, was recognised by the Italians as Emir of Cyrenaica, but had lived in exile in Egypt since 1922. He returned to Libya in 1942, where he was subsequently invited to become Emir of Tripolitania. From 1943 to 1951, Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were under British administration; the French controlled Fezzan. Under the terms of the 1947 peace treaty with the Allies, Italy relinquished all claims to Libya.
On 21 November 1949, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution stating that Libya should become independent before 1 January 1952. Sidi Idris represented Libya in the subsequent UN negotiations. When Libya declared its independence on December 24, 1951, it was the first country to achieve independence through the United Nations. Libya was proclaimed a constitutional and hereditary monarchy under the now King Idris I. The discovery of significant oil reserves in 1959 and the subsequent income from petroleum sales enabled what had been one of the world's poorest countries to become extremely wealthy, as measured by per capita GDP. King Idris ruled the Kingdom of Libya until he was overthrown in a military-led coup on 1 September 1969. The new regime, headed by the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic. Col. Muammar Al Qadhafi emerged as leader of the RCC and eventually as de facto head of state, a position he still holds. Qadhafi became known as the “Brother Leader of the Revolution”, but his only official position is Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Seeking new directions, the RCC's motto became "freedom, socialism, and unity." It pledged itself to remove backwardness, take an active role in the Palestinian Arab cause, promote Arab unity, and encourage domestic policies based on social justice, non-exploitation, and an equitable distribution of wealth.
An early objective of the new revoltionary government was withdrawal of all foreign military installations from Libya. Following negotiations, British military bases at Tobruk and nearby El Adem closed in March 1970, and U.S. facilities at Wheelus Air Force Base near Tripoli closed in June 1970. That July, the Libyan Government ordered the expulsion of several thousand Italian residents. By 1971, libraries and cultural centres operated by foreign governments were closed. Libya claimed leadership of Arab and African revolutionary forces and sought active roles in various international organisations. In the late 1970s, Libyan embassies were redesignated as "people's bureaux", as Qadhafi sought to portray all Libyan policy as an expression of the popular will. The people's bureaux, aided by Libyan religious, political, educational, and business institutions overseas, exported Qadhafi's revolutionary philosophy abroad.
Libya Tourism