Ain Zara

Last updated
Ain Zara
عين زارة
Town
Ain Zara farm.jpg
A farm in Ain Zara
Libya location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Ain Zara
Location in Libya
Coordinates: 32°48′48″N13°16′11″E / 32.81333°N 13.26972°E / 32.81333; 13.26972
CountryFlag of Libya.svg  Libya
District Tripoli
MunicipalityAin Zara
Elevation
118 ft (36 m)
Population
  Religions
Sunni Islam
Christianity (historical)
Time zone UTC+2

Ain Zara is a town and oasis in western Libya, located in the region of Tripoli.

Contents

History

In ancient times it was an important agricultural center. Located in the surroundings of Ain Zara are the remnants of a fourth-century Christian necropolis. [1]

During the Italo-Turkish War, Ain Zara witnessed the first known use of airplanes in war, with Italian Army Air Corps Blériot XI and Nieuport IV monoplanes bombing the Ottoman camp at Ain Zara. [2]

In the aftermath, Ain Zara was occupied by Italian troops on December 4, 1911 after heavy fighting with Ottoman forces. After capturing Ain Zara, Italian forces fortified the area and built a new railway section that linked Ain Zara to Tripoli. [3] [4]

In later history, during the Second Libyan Civil War, about 400 prisoners escaped from a prison in the town on September 2, 2018 amid fighting between rival militias for control of the area. [5]

See also

Notes

  1. "Qasr ad-Duirat | HGL".
  2. Buckley (1999), p.38
  3. Stefano Maggi."Le ferrovie nell'Africa italiana", p.12
  4. Bruce Vandervort, Verso la quarta sponda. La guerra italiana per la Libia (1911-1912), p. 306.
  5. Hundreds of prisoners escape amid chaos in Libyan capital

References