Early history Modern Misrata was established around the 7th century AD during the beginning of modern Libya's rule by the
Caliphate. Some contemporary sources claim the town existed prior to Islamic rule, during the
Roman Empire era and that its initial Arabic name derived from its Roman name
Thubactis.
David Mattingly, author of
Tripolitania, a comprehensive reference book on northwestern Libya, stated that identification of Misrata as the ancient
Thubactis is particularly problematic, complicated and "defies an easy answer." Nonetheless, the Roman town was located at some point on the
oasis upon which the modern city sits. The two common identifications are at the eastern and western anchorages of modern Misrata or south and inland of the city, respectively. The Roman town was recorded as one of the six
municipia (small self-governing cities) of the
Tripolitania province, a rank below
coloniae (cities with full citizenship rights.) In any case, in the 7th century, Misrata served as a caravan supply center and an important port. The Misrata tribe, a section of the larger Berber
Hawwara confederacy, inhabited the coastal region of
Tripolitania during the Roman and early Arab eras. As a result of the abolition of slavery and increasing
European colonial influence in
Sub-Saharan Africa, Trans-Saharan trade declined and consequently Misrata's role in the trade decreased. Two clans, the Muntasir and Adgham, dominated the political, social and economic aspects of Misrata and led the local tribes against their
Turkish overlords during various periods of tension. The Aghdams remained a powerful force nonetheless and their competition with the Muntasirs for leading positions within the local and regional government dominated Misratan politics. Misrata's urban residents did not contribute much to the political scene and avoided contact with the Ottoman authorities out of concern of
conscription into the army and provincial tax collection. In contrast, the rural areas of Misrata were populated mostly by
fellahin (peasantry) and former Bedouins who had retained their tribal affiliations and loyalties and thus involved themselves in competition for political influence. Viewing the Muntasirs as loyalists of Sultan
Abdul Hamid II, the ousted sultan, they made efforts to reduce Muntasir power in the region. The Young Turk administration in Tripoli vetoed Muntasir membership in the local parliament and dismissed the governor of Tarhuna who was Umar al-Muntasir's son, Ahmad Dhiya al-Muntasir, from his post. In addition, they allegedly hired a group of local Misratans to assassinate Abd al-Qasim, another one Umar's sons.
Italian occupation In October 1911,
Italy had
launched an invasion against Ottoman Tripolitania, but were unable to reach Misrata until
June 1912. Ahmad Dhiya al-Muntasir had consulted with the Italians in
Rome months prior to the invasion and Umar al-Muntasir used his influence to coordinate with them militarily once they landed on the Libyan coastline. In return for their collaboration, the Muntasirs were able to maintain their administrative role and gained positions as advisers to the Italian military authorities. As a result of this Libyan victory, Italy's army and their Muntasir allies withdrew from Misrata. By 1916, Misrata had become semi-autonomous and collected taxes from Sirte, the region of
Fezzan and the area between it and Sirte as well as the
Warfalla tribal area south of Tripoli. Because of its strategic harbor, Ottoman and
German forces used Misrata as one of their principal supply ports during World War I. The city became the headquarters of a wide-ranging administration which supervised military recruitment and tax collection, had its own ammunition factory, printed its own currency and operated its own schools and hospitals. However, once
Nuri Bey, the Ottoman officer in charge of the Libyan front, was recalled to Istanbul in early 1918, Ottoman influence waned in Misrata. Suwayhli lost his main backer and a huge source of funding as a result. In June, however, al-Swehli attempted to attack the Muntasirs and Warfalla in the area between Misrata and Tripoli, but his forces were defeated and al-Swehli was executed by Abd al-Qadir al-Muntasir's troops. A few weeks after the battle, the new Italian governor attacked Misrata. During the mid-1920s and 1930s, Misrata became a center of
Italian colonization. A new town was laid out on a grid pattern and several public buildings were constructed including a new municipal office, the first hospital of the area, a modern state-of-the-art church (which was later converted to a mosque) and a large hotel.
Giuseppe Volpi was named Conte di Misrata, or the "Count of Misrata." Later in 1937 was built the
Via Balbia, a main road that connected Misrata with Tripoli and Benghazi, and in 1938
Libya governor
Italo Balbo created on the outskirts of Misrata the new cities of "Gioda" and "Crispi". In January 1939, the
Kingdom of Italy created the
4th Shore, with Libya's four coastal provinces of Tripoli, Misrata, Bengasi, and Derna becoming an integral part of metropolitan Italy. The last railway development in Libya done by the Italians was the "Tripoli-Benghazi line" that was started in 1941 and was never completed because of the Italian defeat during
World War II: a new railway station was built in Misrata, but was destroyed by the British attacks in 1942.
Independence United Kingdom of Libya was born out of the independence movement. In response to alleged vote rigging during the 1952 parliamentary elections, Misrata witnessed mass riots which contributed to the Libyan monarchy's permanent ban on political parties. Following
Muammar Gaddafi's coup that overthrew the monarchy of
King Idris in 1969, Misrata grew rapidly from the 1970s onward. Two
iron and
steel mills were established in the city resulting in a mass migration of Libyans from nearby rural areas to Misrata and consequently generated population and economic growth. The
marina was rapidly developed to host shipping to service the steel plants and other factories with raw materials and other goods. During this period Misrata became the principal economic, educational and administrative center of eastern Tripolitania. The majority of government ministries have branch offices in the city in addition to several college universities, schools and hospitals. The commercial area of Misrata contains numerous shops, restaurants, and cafes. The extensive development of the city attracted large numbers of immigrants to Misrata, giving it a cosmopolitan atmosphere. The main square adjacent to the old souk resembles those of major
Moroccan cities. By 24 February, Benghazi fell under the control of
anti-Gaddafi forces in the
Libyan uprising against Gaddafi. That same day, Gaddafi regime forces attempted to wrest control of the city, but were repelled. The battle was renewed with shelling on 20 March as pro-Gaddafi tanks and artillery pushed forward and besieged Misrata. Eyewitnesses reported that pro-Gaddafi soldiers were shooting, killing and injuring unarmed civilians. The city was shelled by artillery, tanks, and snipers for over 40 days and had its water supply shut off by Gaddafi's forces. By late April, over 1,000 people in the city were reported killed while around 3,000 were injured. anti-Gaddafi forces managed to force loyalist troops to retreat on April 21, gaining control of most of the city by mid-May. Thereafter, forces from Misrata played an important role in other theaters of the war, such as the
Battle of Tripoli, the
Battle of Sirte and the
Battle of Bani Walid (2011). ==Geography==