A number of different
units of measurement
A unit of measurement is a definite magnitude (mathematics), magnitude of a quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same kind of quantity. Any other quantity of that kind can ...
were used in
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
to measure length, mass, area, etc.
Metric system
The metric system is a system of measurement that succeeded the Decimal, decimalised system based on the metre that had been introduced in French Revolution, France in the 1790s. The historical development of these systems culminated in the d ...
adopted in Libya in 1927.
System before the metric system
A number of different units were used.
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
and
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...
Length
Several units were used to measure length. One pik was equal to 0.68 m as it was defined by metric equivalent.
Some other units are given below (Note: these units too were defined by metric equivalents):
1 handaze = 1 pik
1 palmo = pik
1 draa = 0.46 m.
In Tripoli, draa was equal to 26.42 in and arbi draa (lesser pik) was equal to 19.029 in.
Mass
A number of units were used to measure mass. One rottolo was equal to 0.512 8 kg as it was defined by metric equivalent.
Some other units are given below (Note: these units too were defined by metric equivalents):
1
oka
Oka or OKA may refer to:
Cars
* Oka (automobile), a small car designed by AvtoVAZ and produced by ZMA and SeAZ
* OKA 4wd, a large 4-wheel-drive vehicle made in Western Australia by OKA
Military
* 2B1 Oka, Soviet 420 mm self-propelled mor ...
= 2.5 rottolo = 1282 g
1 metical = 4.76 g
1 kharouba = oka
1
dram
Dynamic random-access memory (dynamic RAM or DRAM) is a type of random-access semiconductor memory that stores each bit of data in a memory cell, usually consisting of a tiny capacitor and a transistor, both typically based on metal-oxid ...
= oka
1 termino = oka
1 uckin = oka
1 mattaro = 42 oka
1 cantar = 100 oka.
In Tripoli, metical (73.6 grains) wnuas to measure gold and silver.
Area
Several units were used to measure area. One pik
2 was equal to 0.4624 m
2 as it was defined by it metric equivalent.
Some other units were given below:
1 denum = 1600 pik
2
1 jabia = 1800 pik
2.
Capacity
Two systems, dry and liquid were used to measure capacity.
=Dry
=
Several units were used to measure dry capacity. One orba was equal to 7.5
L as it was defined by metric equivalent (According to some sources, one orba was equal to 7.692
L).
Some other units were given below:
1 nufsorbah = orba
1 marta = 2 orba
1 kele = 2 orba
1 temen = 4 orba
1 ueba = 16 orba.
Following units were also used to measure dry capacity by weight:
1 oka =1282 g (defined by metric equivalent)
1 marta = 11–14 (oka of water)
1 kele = 2 marta.
In Tripoli, 1 cafiso (20 tiberi) was equal to 1.152 bushels.
=Liquid
=
Several units were used to measure liquid capacity. One barile was equal to 64.8
L as it was defined by metric equivalent (According to sources, one barile was equal to 62.4975
L.
).
One bozze was equal to 1/24 barile.
One gorraf was equal to 1/5 barrile, and giarra was nearly equal to 50/71 barile.
Following units were also used to measure liquid capacity by weight:
1 oka = 1282 g (defined by metric equivalent)
1 gorraf = 9.75 oka (of water)
1 giarra = 58.5 oka.
In Tripoli, Mataro, for oil, was equal to 9.163 gal.
Marj
Marj ( ar, المرج, Al Marǧ, The Meadows), also spelt ''El Merj'', generally believed to be on the site of the ancient city of Barca or Barce, is a city in northeastern Libya and the administrative seat of the Marj District. It lies in an ...
(ancient Barca) and
Fezzan
Fezzan ( , ; ber, ⴼⵣⵣⴰⵏ, Fezzan; ar, فزان, Fizzān; la, Phazania) is the southwestern region of modern Libya. It is largely desert, but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys (wadis) in the north, where oases enable ...
Barca and Fezzan had the same units as units in Tripoli.
References
{{Systems of measurement
Libyan culture
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...