Bayda, Libya - Name

Name

Bayḍāʾ means "white" in Arabic. The naming of the city is connected with the Senussi movement, which had dedicated zawiyas in the town to educate local people in Islamic theology, Quranic memorisation to the young, as well as local and tribal conflict resolution, as was customary at the time. The town became known as az-Zawiya al-Bayḍāʾ (the White Monastery) because of the white painted zawiya, which lies on top of a high hill and was clearly visible from a distance. Within time, the word zawiya was dropped and the city became known simply as Bayda.

When the settlement was first founded by the Greeks, it was known as Balagrae. During Italian rule, the city was known as Beda Littoria (Coastal Bayda). During monarchy, the zawiya at Bayda was considered a focal point for the Senussi movement, and in addition to the zawiya, the city was also the political capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Libya until the 1969 Al-Fateh revolution. The zawiya still exists, but it is in a neglected state and sits near the Omar Al-Mukhtar University at the western entrance to the city.