Bab al-Azizia
| Bab al-Azizia | |
|---|---|
| باب العزيزية | |
| Tripoli, Libya | |
| Coordinates | 32°52′20″N 13°10′25″E / 32.87222°N 13.17361°ECoordinates: 32°52′20″N 13°10′25″E / 32.87222°N 13.17361°E |
| Type | Military barracks and compound |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Anti-Gaddafi forces |
| Site history | |
| Demolished | 30 October 2011 |
| Events |
1986 Bombing of Libya Libyan Civil War Battle of Tripoli (2011) |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders |
Abdelhakim Belhadj |
Bab al-Azizia (Arabic: باب العزيزية Bāb al ‘Azīzīyah,Libyan pronunciation: [bæːb əl ʕæziːˈzijjæ]) "The Splendid Gate" is a military barracks and compound, situated in the southern suburbs of Tripoli, the capital of Libya. It served as the main base for the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi until its capture by anti-Gaddafi forces on 23 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli in the Libyan Civil War.
The 6-square-kilometre (2.3 sq mi) base is strategically located south of Tripoli City Centre at the northern end of Airport Highway, allowing easy access to government assets within the city, as well as direct high-speed road access to Tripoli International Airport. After the Libyan civil war, the compound was partially demolished. Some parts of it remain today, albeit in disrepair. The plan, however, is to eventually demolish the entire compound and turn it into a park.
Originally an Italian army base before and during World War II, the barracks were occupied by British forces in 1948. The compound was rebuilt by King Idris, the previous ruler of Libya. Gaddafi reinforced and expanded the compound in the 1980s with the help of foreign contractors. It was surrounded by three concrete walls each with slits for weapons. The walls were estimated to be four-meters high and one meter thick with complicated gate structures. Inside, there were fields with trees, access to water, Gaddafi’s private residence, and a number of military barracks used by troops led by Gaddafi's sons. Also on the property there was a mosque, a football pitch, a swimming pool, communications center and other administrative structures with roadways. The interior walls were lower and surrounded a more secure area with guards and metal detectors.
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