Cyrenaica (from Latin Cyrenaĭcus ). Historical region of North Africa , located on the Mediterranean coast of Libya. The relief consists of a calcareous plateau, with some fertile plains on the coast and desert in the interior. [1]
It occupies about 130 km and has access to the sea. The climate and the fertility of its soil made it, over time, a very important region of the continent. [2]
Summary
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- 1 History
- 1 Barbarian invasions
- 2 Greek colonization
- 3 Roman times
- 4 Modern stage
- 2 The Cyrenaic peninsula: the origin of the Libyan war
- 3 Declaration of autonomy
- 4 Sources
History
Barbarian Invasions
In the 5th century, Cyrenaica was attacked by barbarian populations from Northwest Africa. For its defense, it had a small military contingent, made up of units whose soldiers were defined differently as foreigners and gentiles. They were native soldiers considered barbarians in their own place of origin, busy defending Cyrenaica against attacks by other indigenous Libyan groups or from nearby areas. [3]
Greek colonization
In the VII century a. C. the region was colonized by the Dorians who came from the Greek island of Tera (now Santorini Island ). The leader of the settlers, Aristotle, who adopted the name of Bato, founded the city of Cyrene around 630 BC. C.
Bato founded a kingdom in Cyrenaica and a dynasty, the Batíadas . During the next two hundred years the Greeks founded four other important colonies:
- Barca (Merj)
- Evespérides (later called Berenice, and now Benghazi )
- Tauquira (later Arsínoe, now Tocra)
- Apollonia, the port of Cyrene (now Marsa Susa).
Together with Cyrene, the set of these five cities was known as Pentapolis. The fertile coastal plain where they are found takes its name from the most prosperous of these cities, Cyrene.
The following centuries were times of political struggles against the monarchy. After the conquest of Egypt by Cambyses II (son of Ciro the Great, king of Persia) in the year 525 a. C., the kings of Cirene happened to be tributaries of Egypt. When Egypt became independent from the Persians, in 450 BC. Approximately, the monarchy was overthrown and Cirenaica became a republic. [4]
Later, in 331 a. C., Cirene was conquered by Great Alexander , and later it was gotten up to Ptolemaic Egypt. During this time, the economy experienced a progressive decline. Ptolemy VIII bequeathed Cyrenaica to his natural son Ptolemy Apion who, upon his death in 96 BC. C. leaves the kingdom in inheritance to Rome.
Roman age
Archaeological site of Cyrene , corresponding to the stage of Roman domination of the Cyrenaica region
In 74 a. C., Cirenaica became a Roman province, which also included Crete , called Creta et Cyrenaica . With the partition of the Roman Empire in 395, Cyrenaica was assigned to the Eastern Empire, and it remained in the power of the Byzantines until the Arabs invaded it in 641. For ten centuries it was under the rule of different Arab and Berber dynasties . [4]
Modern stage
In the early 18th century, it became a possession of the Ottoman Empire , known as Benghazi.
In 1911, war broke out between Italy and the Ottoman Empire, a time when the Cyrenaic peninsula was occupied by the Italians. After a year of fighting, the Turks ceded this territory to the other side, to which they added the city of Tripoli . Later, already in the 30s, they would unite forming the Italian colony of Libya. [4]
When the Second World War broke out , the army of the British Empire achieved victory and took control of the entire country.
The Emirate of Cyrenaica or Principality of Cyrenaica was created when Sayyid Idris unilaterally proclaimed Cyrenaica, one of the three regions of Libya, as an independent Sanusia emirate on March 1, 1949, promoted by the United Kingdom, until 1951, when the country declares itself independent under the name of the Kingdom of Libya. [5]
Sayyid Idris proclaimed himself emir of Cyrenaica at a “national conference” in Benghazi. Recognition by the United Kingdom failed to influence the attitude of the United Nations, this country and France directly prepared the independence of Libya in a resolution made November 21 the same year. the independence of the United Kingdom of Libya was declared on December 24, 1951, and 3 days later the Emir Idris was enthroned as King Idris I . [5]
The Kingdom of Libya, originally called the United Kingdom of Libya, started after independence and lasted until a coup led by Muammar al-Gaddafi on September 1, 1969 overthrew King Idris I and established the Libyan Arab Republic. [5]
On March 6, 2012, reflecting the events of 63 years earlier, a similar meeting was held in Benghazi, calling for more autonomy and federalism for Cyrenaica. Ahmed al-Senussi, a relative of King Idris, was announced as the leader of the self-proclaimed Transitional Council of Cyrenaica. [5]
The Cyrenaic peninsula: the origin of the Libyan war
This area remained controlled by the National Transitional Council, a government made up of leaders who had participated in the Libyan war and who had fought against Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, for most of the battle. The headquarters of this so-called Transitional Council remained in Benghazi throughout the war.
The importance of this area in the Libyan war has been such that several tribal leaders and militia commanders have said that the Cyrenaica province is independent and have separated from control of its capital, Tripoli, after winning the war in 2012 . [2]
Declaration of autonomy
By the summer of 2013, Tripoli had totally lost control not only of the Cyrenaic peninsula, but also of the Fezzan region, as UN special envoys found . In October, the Cyrenaica region proclaims its autonomy and announces “full independence” over its natural resources.
