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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 upland valley separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a range of hills, part of the Jebel Akhdar Mountains.
It has an estimated population of 85,315 (). There are a couple of banks on the main street and the main post office is in the city centre, not far from the Abu Bakr Assiddiq mosque.Pliez, Olivier (ed.) (2009) "Al Marj" ''Le Petit Futé Libye'' Petit Futé, Paris
p. 237
; in French
According to most archeologists, Marj marks the site of the ancient city of Barca, which, however, according to Alexander Graham, was at
Wanderings in North Africa
' J. Murray, London,
{{Authority control Cyrenaica Cities destroyed by earthquakes Baladiyat of Libya
p. 237
; in French
History
According to most archeologists, Marj marks the site of the ancient city of Barca, which, however, according to Alexander Graham, was at Tolmeita
Tolmeita, Tolmeta or Tolmeitha ar, طلميتة is a village in the northern Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya, some east of Benghazi, near Ad Dirsiyah. Its name is derived from Greek language, Greek Πτολεμαΐς (''Ptolemais''), the name o ...
( Ptolemais).
Marj grew around a Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
fort built in 1842 and now restored. During the colonial dominance of Libya (1913–41), the town was called Barce and was developed as an administrative and market centre and hill resort.
During World War II North African campaign, the 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
The 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is a close support regiment attached to the 7th Brigade at Enoggera Barracks in Queensland. The unit was formed in 1914 under the name 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade, part of 1st Division Arti ...
won a battle for the region of Barce on 5 February 1941. The regiment commemorates this battle by naming the facilities at its base at Enoggera as Barce Lines.
From 1942–1943, the town was the capital of British-occupied Cyrenaica.
Most of it was destroyed by a 5.6 earthquake on 21 February 1963, which killed some 300 people and injured 500 more.Hewitt, Kenneth (1983) "Seismic Risk and Mountain Environments: The Role of Surface Conditions in Earthquake Disaster" ''Mountain Research and Development'' 3(1): pp. 27–44, p. 30 Major rebuilding was undertaken about from the old site, and was completed about 1970.
Transport
During the Italian colonization of Libya, Al Marj had been the eastern terminal of . Nowadays, Al Marj is linked withBenghazi
Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
by two roads. One runs through Tocra (part of Libyan Coastal Highway). The other runs through Al Abyar.
Al Marj is linked also with Lamluda by two roads. One runs through Al Bayda (part of Libyan Coastal Highway). The other runs through Tacnis and Marawah. From Tacnis it leads to the Charruba–Timimi Road.
See also
* List of cities in LibyaNotes
Further reading
* Hamilton, James (1856)Wanderings in North Africa
' J. Murray, London,
External links
{{Authority control Cyrenaica Cities destroyed by earthquakes Baladiyat of Libya