the OMAR AL MUKHTAR MAUSOLEUm - BENGHAZI
Aerial photo of the Omar Al Mukhtar Museum, Benghazi. The Omar Mukhtar Mausoleum collection.
In 2020, work began in Benghazi on a new mausoleum to honour Omar al Mukhtar. The project was directed and overseen by Dr Faraj Najem, a noted Libyan historian and Professor of Governance at the University of Benghazi and who is also the director of The Salam Centre for Peace Building and Crisis Management in Benghazi.
Prime Minister Abdulla Thini of the House of Representatives obtained the approval for the construction of the mausoleum, and Ali Hebri, Governor of the Eastern Central Bank was responsible for procuring the financing of the project.
The Omar al Mukhtar Mausoleum and Shrine was completed in 2021. In addition to serving as a special monument to Omar Al Mukhtar, is also serves as a centre of learning and includes a specialized reference library for use by academics and scholars. The Mausoleum is open to the general public, with school parties, scout groups and tourists in regular attendance. Visitors are educated on the life and history of the Libyan hero and also the circumstances and events of the Italian colonial period of oppression. There are books, photographs and slideshows on display, as well as a vast collection of items of historical interest relating to the great man and the years of resistance to the Italian colonisation.
Construction on the Mausoleum, external and internal work, in 2020. The Omar Mukhtar Mausoleum collection.
Schoolchildren visiting the Omar Al Mukhtar Museum, Benghazi. The Omar Mukhtar Mausoleum collection.
The mausoleum has, over time, become a focal point for foreign dignitaries seeking to show their respects to Omar Al Mukhtar and to acknowlege the suffering experienced by Libyans during the years of the Italian invasion and subsequent colonisation. Notable visitors include the U.K. Ambassador to Libya, Caroline Hurndall, who visited in 2022 and U.S Charge d’ Affairs, Leslie Ordeman, who visited the Mausoleum in 2023.
Please click the link below, to be taken to the interview with Dr Faraj Najem, director of the Omar Al Mukhtar Mausoleum.
Caroline Hurndall, UK Ambassador to Libya, visits the Mausoleum in October 2022. The Omar Mukhtar Mausoleum collection.