Zuwarah

Zuwarah
Country	Libya
Municipality	An Nuqat al Khams

Zuwarah (Arabic: زوارة) is a port city in northwestern Libya, with a population of 45,000. It is situated 68 miles west of Tripoli and 37 miles from the Tunisian border. It is the capital of the An Nuqat al Khams shabiyah (municipality). Its population mainly belongs to the Ibadi branch of Islam, and speaks a Zenati Berber language. The town is mentioned by Leo Africanus; it was here that Muammar al-Qaddafi first proclaimed the Libyan "Cultural Revolution" in 1973.

History

First mentioned in a Catalan sailing manual (1375) as Punta dar Zoyara, it later served as the western outpost of Italian-controlled Libya (1912–43), being the terminus of the now-defunct railway from Tripoli 65 mi (105 km) east. Its artificial harbour shelters a motorized fishing fleet. Cereals, dates, and esparto grass (used to make cordage, shoes, and paper) are local products.

32°56′N 12°05′E