Msallata
|
Msallata مسلاتة Al Qasabat |
|
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Msallata
|
|
| Coordinates: 32°34′56″N 14°02′24″E / 32.58222°N 14.04000°E | |
| Country |
 Libya
|
| Region | Tripolitania |
| District | Murqub |
| Elevation | 227 m (745 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 23,702 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
Msallata (also Al Qasabat, Cussabat and El-Gusbát) is a town in the northwestern part of Libya, in the Murqub District. It has a population of nearly 80,000, and was historically a center of Islamic studies. It is also known for olive tree farming and olive oil production. The Tripolian Republic was announced in Msallata on 16 November 1918 which was the first republic in the Arab world. Along with the city of Tarhuna, it gave its name to the former Libyan district of Tarhuna wa Msalata.
There has not been any research on the etymology of the name Msallata, but there is some speculation as to its origins. One theory is that the name comes from the plural of the Arabic word for obelisk masalla which is masallat, because the city is the home of 22 tall buildings called qasaba. Others speculate that the name comes from the Arabic word salt (scrubbing), which also has the more specific meaning of 'scrubbing olive from its tree', with the M at the beginning being a variant of the Himyarite definite article am-. Supporters of this argument mention that Msallata is famous for its olive production. However, none of these claims have been scientifically substantiated.
The history of the city dates back to the Roman Ages where it was mentioned as Misfe, a station between Leptis Magna and Tarhunah. At the end of the First World War, the agreement on establishing the Tripolitanian Republic was signed in the city on November 16, 1918.
Most residents of Msallata are not originally from the city, but from other cities. People in Mssallata are conservative and observant of Islamic laws, as in most Libyan cities. In a recent official census, Msallata has population of 79,709.
Msallata is divided into the districts of Qasabath, Cendara, Wadnah, Banilathe, Zafran, Algaleel, Elwatah, Akasha, Al-Hadirat, Al-Shafeen, Zawiyat as-Samah, Banimeslem, Gereem, Ghrarat, Mrad, Al-Swadnyah and Al-Zarruq.
The city was a part of Al-Mergheb Governorate, but after the uprising in Libya, it became an independent governorate. The telephone code of the city is 053.
...
Wikipedia