| Benghazi Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 Benghazi Cathedral (1960s) | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic Church |
| Rite | African Rite |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Status | Inactive |
| Location | |
| Location | Benghazi, Libya |
| Geographic coordinates | 32°6′50″N20°3′34″E / 32.11389°N 20.05944°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | church |
| Style | Neoclassical |
| Groundbreaking | 1929 |
Benghazi Cathedral is a former Roman Catholic church in the city of Benghazi, Libya. It is located in the city center.
Benghazi Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, was built between 1929 and 1939 on land formerly occupied by Arabs, and was one of the largest churches in North Africa. [1] It was designed by the Italian architects Ottavio Cabiati and Guido Ferrazza. It was lightly damaged when Benghazi was captured by the Wehrmacht during Operation Sonnenblume. [2] Soon after King Idris took power in 1951, the building was slowly abandoned due to lack of maintenance. After Muammar Gaddafi took power and suppressed the Libyan Church, plans were made to convert the building into a Mosque, as with the Cathedral of Tripoli, but the cathedral's position prevented Imams from facing Mecca, and the plans were scrapped. [3] The building was later used as a headquarters for the Arab Socialist Union. [4]
The Headquarters had already been abandoned by time of the Libyan Civil War, following several unsuccessful restoration efforts. The Cathedral survived the Battle of Benghazi (2014–2017) without major structural damage. [5]
As of 2020, the cathedral is still abandoned.
The building is an example of Neoclassical architecture, and was designed by Italian architects Ottavio Cabiati and Guido Ferrazza. The cathedral's architecture is based on that of a basilica. The entrance has a portico with four Doric columns and two side pillars. Its two characteristic domes cover both spans of the nave, while a series of oculi provide the cathedral's lighting. The building is heavily inspired by Italian religious architecture. Original plans show that the cathedral was not completed as planned; the designs included a three-story bell tower and sumptuous ceiling decoration, neither of which were built. [6] It is nonetheless one of the largest churches in North Africa.[ citation needed ]
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Florestano Di Fausto was an Italian architect, engineer and politician who is best known for his building designs in the Italian overseas territories around the Mediterranean. He is considered the most important colonial architect of the Fascist age in Italy and has been described as the "architect of the Mediterranean". Uncontested protagonist of the architectural scene first in the Italian Islands of the Aegean and then in Italian Libya, he was gifted with a remarkable preparation combined with consummate skills, which allowed him to master and to use indifferently and in any geographical context the most diverse architectural styles, swinging between eclecticism and rationalism. His legacy, long neglected, has been highlighted since the 1990s.
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