This is a list of notable people from

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

Artists

Writers (including poets)

Callimachus Callimachus (; ; ) was an ancient Greek poet, scholar, and librarian who was active in Alexandria during the 3rd century BC. A representative of Ancient Greek literature of the Hellenistic period, he wrote over 800 literary works, most of which ...

, ancient poet and librarian * Philostephanus, Hellenistic writer * Eugammon of Cyrene, flourished 567/6 BC. * Ahmed Rafiq Almhadoui (1898–1961), poet * Khadījah Jahamī * Saddeka Arebi (died 2007), author and anthropologist * Ibrahim Al-Koni (born 1948) * Hisham Matar (born 1970) * Heba Shibani * Ahmed Fouad Shennib (died 2007), poet and Minister of Culture and Education

Actors

* Rossana Podestà * Mario Donatone * Amos Lavi * Baz Ashmawy

Directors and filmmakers

* Vittorio De Sisti *

Don Coscarelli Don Coscarelli Jr. (born February 17, 1954) is an American film director, film producer, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in horror films. His directing credits include the first four films in the Phantasm (franchise), '' ...

* Robert Haggiag * Maysoon Shaladi, British actress, model, TV presenter, ''Big Brother'' UK contestant * Fadwa El Gallal

Leaders and politicians

Ancient Libya

Shoshenq I Hedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq I (Egyptian ''ššnq''; reigned )—also known as Shashank or Sheshonk or Sheshonq Ifor discussion of the spelling, see Shoshenq—was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Egy ...

, founder of the

Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt The Twenty-second Dynasty was an Ancient Egyptian dynasty of ancient Libyan origin founded by Shoshenq I. It is also known as the Bubastite Dynasty, since the pharaohs originally ruled from the city of Bubastis. The Twenty-first, Twenty-se ...

. *

Shoshenq II The designation Shoshenq II is variously associated by scholars with several different Egyptian royal names, most commonly Heqakheperre Shoshenq IIa, discussed below, but also Tutkheperre Shoshenq IIb and Maatkheperre Shoshenq IIc, and is someti ...

pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...

of the

. *

Osorkon the Elder Aakheperre Setepenre Osorkon, also known as Osorkon the Elder, was the fifth king of the 21st Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and was the first Pharaoh of Meshwesh (Ancient Libyan) origin. He is also sometimes known as Osochor, following Manetho's ''Ae ...

, fifth king of the twenty-first dynasty of Ancient Egypt and was the first Pharaoh of Libyan origin *

Tefnakht Shepsesre Tefnakht (in ) was a prince of Sais and founder of the relatively short Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt; he rose to become a Chief of the Ma in his home city. He is thought to have reigned roughly 732 BCE to 725 BCE, or seven years. T ...

, founder of the

Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt The Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XXIV, alternatively 24th Dynasty or Dynasty 24) is usually classified as the fourth Dynasty of the Ancient Egyptian Third Intermediate Period. History The Twenty-Fourth Dynasty was a short ...

. *

Siamun Neterkheperre or Netjerkheperre-Setepenamun Siamun was the sixth pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, Egypt during the Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt, Twenty-first Dynasty. He built extensively in Lower Egypt for a king of the Third Intermediate Period and ...

the sixth

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; ; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through cursus honorum, the ...

(146–211), 21st Roman Emperor (193–211), born in Libya *

Geta Geta may refer to: Places *Geta (woreda), a woreda in Ethiopia's Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region *Geta, Åland, a municipality in Finland *Geta, Nepal, a town in Attariya Municipality, Kailali District, Seti Zone, Nepal *Get� ...

, shared his brother

Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...

the throne of Rome before he was murdered in 211 *

23rd Caesar of Rome, son of Septimius Severus *

Meryey Meryey was a berber king of ancient Libya (or the ''Libu''), during the late 13th century BC, contemporary with that of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah (1213-1203 BC). Son of a man named Ded, Meryey is mentioned as the architect of a major ...

, king of

Ancient Libya During the Iron Age and Classical antiquity, ''Libya'' (from Greek :wikt:Λιβύη, Λιβύη: ''Libyē'', which came from Berber language, Berber: ''Libu'') referred to the area of North Africa directly west of the Nile, Nile river (Modern day ...

* Ankhhor, great chief of the

Libu The Libu (; also transcribed Rebu, Libo, Lebu, Lbou, Libou) were an Ancient Libyan tribe of Berber origin, from which the name ''Libya'' derives. Early history Their tribal origin in Ancient Libya is first attested in Egyptian language texts ...

* Battus II 583–560 BC * Arcesilaus II 560–550 BC * Learchus 550 BC (disputed) * Battus III 550–530 BC * Arcesilaus III 530–515 BC * Battus IV 515–465 BC * Arcesilaus IV 465–440 BC *

Magas of Cyrene Magas of Cyrene (; born before 317 BC – 250 BC, ruled 276 BC – 250 BC) was a Greek King of Cyrenaica. Through his mother’s second marriage to Ptolemy I he became a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He managed to wrest independence for Cy ...

276–250 BC *

Berenice II Berenice II Euergetis (267 or 266 – 221 BCE; , '' Berenikē Euergetis'', "Berenice the Benefactress") was queen regnant of Cyrenaica from 258 to 246 BCE and queen of Ptolemaic Egypt from 246 to 222 BCE as the wife of Ptolemy III. She is sometim ...

(Queen) 258–246 BC, alongside a series of her co-rulers: Magas,

Demetrius Demetrius is the Latinization of names, Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male name, male Greek given names, given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, ...

and a republican government *

Demetrius the Fair Demetrius the Fair or the Handsome (, c. 285 BC–249 BC), known in modern ancient historical sources as Demetrius of Cyrene, was a Hellenistic king of Cyrene, who succeeded Magas I. Family Demetrius was of Macedonian ancestry. He wa ...

250–249 BC *

Ptolemy Apion Ptolemy Apion or simply known as Apion (; between 150 BC and 145 BC – 96 BC) was the last Greek King of Cyrenaica who separated it from the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, and in his last will bequeathed his country to Rome. He was a member of the ...

116–96 BC * Cabaon, berber chief of

Tripolitania Tripolitania (), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province of Libya. The region had been settled since antiquity, first coming to prominence as part of the Carthaginian empire. Following the defeat ...

, against the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

* Ierna, leader of the

Laguatan The Laguatan () was a Berber clan that inhabited the Cyrenaica area during the Roman period. They have been described as primarily raiders and nomadic, but others consider them a settled group who also raided. The Laguatan emerged in the late 3rd ...

* Carcasan, berber rebel and leader of the

* Ahmed Karamanli (1686–1745),

pasha Pasha (; ; ) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitary, dignitaries, and others. ''Pasha'' was also one of the highest titles in the 20th-century Kingdom of ...

(ruler) of

(1711–1745) *

Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi List of shehus of Bornu, Shehu Muhammad al-Amîn al-Kanemi (; 1776 – 8 June 1837) was an Islamic scholar, teacher, religious and political leader who advised and eventually supplanted the Sayfawa dynasty of the Kanem–Bornu Empire. In 1846, al ...

(1776–1837), ruler of the Sayfawa dynasty (1809–1837) *

Umar of Borno Umar ibn Muhammad al-Amin (; died 1881), or Umar of Borno, was '' shehu'' of the Kanem–Bornu Empire in 1837–1853 and 1854–1881. Umar was a son of Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi. Umar's father had sidelined the '' mai'' (king/emperor), the trad ...

, successor of his father and ruler of the Sayfawa dynasty (1837–1881) * Yusuf Karamanli (died 1838), pasha of Tripolitania (1795–1832)

Modern Libya

* Idris I of Libya (1890–1983), King of Libya (1951–1969). * Umar Mihayshi (died 1984), Libyan army officer *

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until Killing of Muammar Gaddafi, his assassination by Libyan Anti-Gaddafi ...

(1942–2011), Libyan leader (1969–2011). *

Mustafa Abdul Jalil Mustafa Abdul Jalil (; also transcribed ''Abdul-Jelil, Abd-al-Jalil'', ''Abdel-Jalil'', ''Abdeljalil'' or ''Abdu Al Jeleil''; born 6 November 1952) is a Libyan politician who was the Chairman of the National Transitional Council from 5 March 201 ...

(born 1952), former Minister of Justice, and President of the

National Transitional Council The National Transitional Council (NTC) was a transitional government established in the 2011 Libyan civil war. After rebel forces overthrew the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya of Muammar Gaddafi in August 2011, the NTC governed Libya for a further ...

(5 March 2011 – 8 August 2012) * Zentani Muhammad az-Zentani *

, (died 2011) * Wahbi al-Bouri, foreign minister * Abdul Salam al-Buseiri, foreign minister * Mohieddin Fikini, foreign minister * Abdul Majid Kubar, foreign minister *

Hussein Maziq Hussein Yousef Maziq (; 26 June 1918 – 12 May 2006) was a Libyan politician who was Prime Minister of Libya from 20 March 1965 to 2 July 1967. He was one of the most important men in the Kingdom era of Libya. Family background Maziq was a ...

, foreign minister * Mahmud al-Muntasir, foreign minister * Umar Mustafa al-Muntasir, foreign minister * Muhammad Sakizli, foreign minister *

Abdel Rahman Shalgham Abdel Rahman Shalgam (Arabic: عبد الرحمن شلقم; born 22 January 1949) is a Libyan politician. He was Foreign Minister of Libya from 2000 to 2009. Early life Shalgam was born in Sabha in southern Libya. Career in politics In 1973, he ...

, foreign minister * Jadallah Azzuz at-Talhi, foreign minister * Dr. Ali Abdulsalam Treki * Abdulrahman Sewehli

Defence ministers

* Omar Faiek Shennib, Minister of Defence, 1951–1953 (death)

Secretaries general

Kamel Maghur Kamel Hassan Maghur (; 1 January 1935 – 4 January 2002) was a Libyan lawyer, diplomat, and writer. Biography Kamel Maghur was born in Dahra, Tripoli, Italian Libya on January 1, 1935. He graduated from Cairo University with a degree in law. ...

(1935–2002)

Prime ministers

* Abdul Qadir al-Badri, Prime Minister of Libya (July 2, 1967 – October 25, 1967) *

Abdul Hamid al-Bakkoush Abdul (also transliterated as Abdal, Abdel, Abdil, Abdol, Abdool, or Abdoul; , ) is the most frequent transliteration of the combination of the Arabic word '' Abd'' (, meaning "Servant") and the definite prefix '' al / el'' (, meaning "the"). It ...

* Abuzed Omar Dorda * Mohieddin Fikini * Mustafa Ben Halim *

Abdessalam Jalloud Abdessalam Jalloud (; born 15 December 1944) is a Libyan former politician and military officer who served as the prime minister of Libya from 16 July 1972 to 2 March 1977, under the government of Muammar Gaddafi. He was also Minister of Treasur ...

* Mahmoud Jibril * Mahmud Sulayman al-Maghribi * Baghdadi Mahmudi * Muhammad Ahmad al-Mangoush *

* Mahmud al-Muntasir * Umar Mustafa al-Muntasir *

Abdul Ati al-Obeidi Abdul Ati al-Obeidi (; ; 10 October 1939 – 16 September 2023) was a Libyan politician and diplomat. He held various top posts in Libya under Muammar Gaddafi; he was Prime Minister from 1977 to 1979 and General Secretary of General People's Co ...

* Wanis al-Qaddafi * Abdul Majid al-Qa′ud * Muhammad az-Zaruq Rajab * Muhammad Osman Said * Muhammad Sakizli * Imbarek Shamekh * Jadallah Azzuz at-Talhi

Schools and academics

Educators and teachers

Arete of Cyrene Arete of Cyrene (; ; ) was a Cyrenaic philosopher who lived in Cyrene, Libya. She was the daughter of Aristippus of Cyrene. Life and teachings Arete learned philosophy from her father, Aristippus, who had himself learned philosophy from Socrates ...

Carneades Carneades (; , ''Karneadēs'', "of Carnea"; 214/3–129/8 BC) was a Greek philosopher, perhaps the most prominent head of the Skeptical Academy in Ancient Greece. He was born in Cyrene. By the year 159 BC, he had begun to attack many previo ...

, Hellenistic academic skeptic philosopher *

Aristippus Aristippus of Cyrene (; ; c. 435 – c. 356 BCE) was a hedonistic Greek philosopher and the founder of the Cyrenaic school of philosophy. He was a pupil of Socrates, but adopted a different philosophical outlook, teaching that the goal of life ...

, Ancient Greek philosopher, founder of Cyrenaicism *

Lacydes of Cyrene Lacydes of Cyrene (), Academic Skeptic philosopher, was head of the Platonic Academy at Athens in succession to Arcesilaus from 241 BC. He was forced to resign c. 215 BC due to ill-health, and he died c. 205 BC. Nothing survives of his works. ...

, Academic Skeptic philosopher, was head of the

Platonic Academy The Academy (), variously known as Plato's Academy, or the Platonic Academy, was founded in Classical Athens, Athens by Plato ''wikt:circa, circa'' 387 BC. The academy is regarded as the first institution of higher education in the west, where ...

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

* Zuhra Ramdan Agha Al-Awji * Mohammed Shegewi (died 2007)

Linguists

* Kalifa Tillisi (1930–2010), historian, translator, and linguist * Ibn al-Ajdābī (died after c. 1077), scholar and linguist

Science and mathematics

* Ehtuish Ehtuish *

Alaa Murabit Alaa Murabit M.D. (; born October 1989) is a Libyan-Canadian physician, policy maker, and strategist focused on health, inclusive security, and sustainable development. She created the Voice of Libyan Women at age 21 and played a key role in ad ...

Eratosthenes Eratosthenes of Cyrene (; ; – ) was an Ancient Greek polymath: a Greek mathematics, mathematician, geographer, poet, astronomer, and music theory, music theorist. He was a man of learning, becoming the chief librarian at the Library of A ...

(276 BC–194 BC), Hellenistic mathematician, geographer and astronomer, born in Libya *

Theodorus of Cyrene Theodorus of Cyrene (; 450 BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician. The only first-hand accounts of him that survive are in three of Plato's dialogues: the '' Theaetetus'', the ''Sophist'', and the ''Statesman''. In the first dialogue, he posits ...

(c. 5th century BC), mathematician * Ahmed K. Elmagarmid (born 1954), computer scientist

Philosophy

Hegesias of Cyrene Hegesias (; ) of Cyrene was a Cyrenaic philosopher. He argued that eudaimonia (happiness) is impossible to achieve, and that the goal of life should be the avoidance of pain and sorrow. Conventional values such as wealth, poverty, freedom, and ...

* Antipater of Cyrene *

Anniceris Anniceris (; fl. 300 BC) was a Cyrenaic philosopher. He argued that pleasure is achieved through individual acts of gratification which are sought for the pleasure that they produce, but he also laid great emphasis on the love of family, country, f ...

Theodorus the Atheist Theodorus "the Atheist" (; c. 340 – c. 250 BCE), of Cyrene, was a Greek philosopher of the Cyrenaic school. He lived in both Greece and Alexandria, before ending his days in his native city of Cyrene. As a Cyrenaic philosopher, he taught that ...

Synesius Synesius of Cyrene (; ; c. 373 – c. 414) was a Greek bishop of Ptolemais in ancient Libya, a part of the Western Pentapolis of Cyrenaica after 410. He was born of wealthy parents at Balagrae (now Bayda, Libya) near Cyrene between 370 and 3 ...

* Aristippus the Younger * Aristotle of Cyrene

Healthcare

* Mabrouka al-Tabiba, midwife

Media figures

* Halla Diyab, British Libyan-born screenwriter, author, producer, broadcaster and TV commentator * Hajer Sharief

Musicians and singers

* Ptolemais of Cyrene, music theorist * Nadia Ali (born 3 August 1980), singer-songwriter * Ahmed Fakroun, singer, composer and producer * Nasser el-Mizdawi (born 1950), singer, guitarist and composer *

Franco Califano Franco Califano (14 September 1938 – 30 March 2013) was an Italian lyricist, composer, singer-songwriter, author and actor. His songs sold about 20 million records during his career. Early life Born in an airplane above Tripoli, Libya, Ca ...

* Herbert Pagani

Religious figures

Abd As-Salam Al-Asmar Sidi Abd As-Salam Al-Asmar (, ''Al-Lasmar `Abd as-Salām'') was a renowned religious Libyan Muslim saint who lived and died during the 15th century (1455–1575 CE). He is called al-Asmar because he stayed up most of the night in prayer. Li ...

* Sharif El Gariani *

Simon of Cyrene Simon of Cyrene (, Standard Hebrew ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian Hebrew ''Šimʿôn''; , ''Simōn Kyrēnaios'') was the man compelled by the Romans to carry the cross of Jesus of Nazareth as Jesus was taken to his crucifixion, according to all three ...

Pope Victor I Pope Victor I (died 199) was a Roman African prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Rome in the late second century. The dates of his tenure are uncertain, but one source states he became pope in 189 and gives the year of h ...

* Lucius of Cyrene *

Arius Arius (; ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaica, Cyrenaic presbyter and asceticism, ascetic. He has been regarded as the founder of Arianism, which holds that Jesus Christ was not Eternity, coeternal with God the Father, but was rather created b ...

* Saint Hadrian *

Jason of Cyrene Jason of Cyrene () was a Hellenistic Jew who lived around the middle of the second century BCE (fl. ~160–110 BCE?). He is the author of a five-volume history of the Maccabean Revolt and its preceding events (~178–160 BCE), which subse ...

Mark the Evangelist Mark the Evangelist (Koine Greek, Koinē Greek: Μᾶρκος, romanized: ''Mârkos''), also known as John Mark (Koine Greek, Koinē Greek language, Greek: Ἰωάννης Μᾶρκος, Romanization of Greek, romanized: ''Iōánnēs Mârkos;'' ...

Resistance fighters

* Sulaiman al-Barouni (1872–1940), resistance leader against

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

colonization 475px, Map of the year each country achieved List of sovereign states by date of formation, independence. Colonization (British English: colonisation) is a process of establishing occupation of or control over foreign territories or peoples f ...

Omar al-Mukhtar ʿUmar al-Mukhtār Muḥammad Patronymic#Arabic, bin Farḥāt al-Manifī (; 20 August 1858 – 16 September 1931), called The Lion of the Desert, known among the colonial Italians as Matari of the Mnifa, was a Libyan revolutionary and Imam who ...

(1862–1931), Libyan hero and resistance leader under against Italian colonization * Sayyid Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi, Libyan resistance leader and chief of the

Senussi The Senusiyya, Senussi or Sanusi () are a Muslim political-religious Sufi order and clan in Libya and surrounding regions founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Sanussi ( ''as-Sanūssiyy al-Kabīr''), the Algerian Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi. ...

order * Ramadan Sewehli (1879–1920), Libyan resistance leader and the founder of Tripolitanian Republic * Omar Shegewi (unknown–1928), Libyan resistance fighter who was later sentenced to death * Muhammad Tariq Abd al-Qadir al-Afriqi (1886–1963), Libyan hero who fought against colonialism in many countries

Royalty

* Idris I of Libya, King of Libya (1951–1969) and the Chief of the Senussi Muslim order * Queen Fatima (1918–2009), former queen of Libya * Sayyid Hassan as-Rida * Sayyid Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi, Chief of the Senussi Muslim order * Sayyid Muhammad bin 'Ali as-Senussi

Sportspeople

Basketball

* Suleiman Ali Nashnush (died 1991)

Footballers

* Samir Aboud * Luis de Agustini * Muhammed Alsnany * Akram Ayyad * Mansour Al Borki * Ehab Al Bousefi * Omar Daoud * Meftah Ghazalla * Osama Al Hamady * Khaled Hussein * Abdesalam Kames * Nader Kara * Abdusalam Khames * Ahmed Faraj El Masli * Waled Mhadeb * Rabe Al Msellati * Jehad Muntasser * Arafa Nakuaa * Walid Ali Osman * Ali Rahuma * Marei Al Ramly * Salem Ibrahim Al Rewani * Alejandro Ruben * Hesham Shaban * Mohmoud Maklouf Shafter * Younes Al Shibani * Naji Shushan * Abdulnaser Slil * Tarik El Taib * Reda Al Tawrghe * Mohamed Zubya * Ahmed Mahmoud Zuway

Extrajudicial prisoners of the United States

* Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr * Omar Deghayes * Muhammad Abd Allah Mansur Al Futuri * Abdel Hamid Ibn Abdussalem Ibn Mifta Al Ghazzawi * Salem Abdul Salem Ghereby * Abu Yahia al-Libi * Abdul Rauf Omar Mohammed Abu Al Qusin * Ashraf Salim Abd Al Salam Sultan * Ibrahim Mahdy Achmed Zeidan

References

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