Zuwarah


Zuwarah, or Zuwara or Zwara is a coastal Berber-speaking city in Libya.
Zuwara or At Willul is famous for its beaches and seafood. It is situated west of Tripoli and from the Tunisian border. It is the capital of the Nuqat al Khams district. Its population speaks Zuwara Berber, a Zenati Berber language.

History

The settlement was first mentioned by the traveller al-Tidjani in the years 1306-1309 as Zwara al-saghirah. In a Catalan sailing manual 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, 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 are local products.
It was in 1973 in Zuwara that Muammar Gaddafi first proclaimed the Libyan "Cultural Revolution".

2011 Libyan civil war

In the 2011 Libyan Civil War battles, 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. 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.

Climate

Zuwara has a hot semi-arid climate.