Coastal city in western Libya
Zuwara is a port city in northwestern Libya. It is famous for its beaches and seafood. It is the capital of the Nuqat al Khams district.
Zuwarah, or Zuwara (Arabic: زوارة; Berber: ⵜⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ ⵏ ⵡⴰⵜ ⵡⵉⵍⵍⵓⵍ Tamurt n Wat Willul), has a population of around 56,000. Its population speaks Zuwara Berber, a Zenati Berber language.
This area of Libya is referred to as Tripolitania. Other regions are Cyrenaica in the east and Fezzen is in the southwest.
The settlement was first mentioned by the traveller al-Tidjani in the years 1306-1309 as Zwara al-saghirah ("Little Zwarah"). It served as the western outpost of Italian Libya (1912–43), being the terminus of the now-defunct Italian Libya Railway from Tripoli. Its artificial harbour shelters a motorized fishing fleet. Cereals, dates, and esparto grass (used to make cordage, shoes, and paper) are local products.
In September 2011, and following the fall of the Gaddafi government, Zuwara was the first town in Libya to democratically elect its local council.
It is 102 km (63 mi) west of Tripoli and 60 km (37 mi) from the Tunisian border.
See the warning on the Libya article for information on the security situation.