Red Castle Museum
Encyclopedia
The Red Castle Museum or Assaraya Alhamra Museum (Arabic
: متحف السرايا الحمراء), or Archaeological Museum of Tripoli, is Libya
's national museum of 5,000 years from prehistory to the independence revolution (1953) era. It is located in Tripoli
's Assaria al-Hamra or Red Castle fortress, on the promontory above and adjacent to the old-town district with medina
Ghadema. The museum, designed in conjunction with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO
), has an entrance on historic Martyrs' Square or As-Saha al-Kradrah.
, the museum occupied the entire complex of the castle and in 1948 was renamed The Libyan Museum. The museum reopened to the public in 1988, renamed the Assaraya Alhmara Museum–Red Castle Museum, with 'state-of-the-art' facilities.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
: متحف السرايا الحمراء), or Archaeological Museum of Tripoli, is Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
's national museum of 5,000 years from prehistory to the independence revolution (1953) era. It is located in Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
's Assaria al-Hamra or Red Castle fortress, on the promontory above and adjacent to the old-town district with medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
Ghadema. The museum, designed in conjunction with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
), has an entrance on historic Martyrs' Square or As-Saha al-Kradrah.
History
The museum was established in 1919, when the colonial Italians converted a section of the castle to a museum to house many of the archaeological artifacts scattered across the country since prehistoric times. When the British occupied Libya during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the museum occupied the entire complex of the castle and in 1948 was renamed The Libyan Museum. The museum reopened to the public in 1988, renamed the Assaraya Alhmara Museum–Red Castle Museum, with 'state-of-the-art' facilities.
Collections
The museum was designed with different wings and floors for the exhibition of the distinct collections.- PrehistoryPrehistoryPrehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
of the Libyan region - Ancient LibyaAncient LibyaThe Latin name Libya referred to the region west of the Nile Valley, generally corresponding to modern Northwest Africa. Climate changes affected the locations of the settlements....
tribes and traditions – the MaghrebMaghrebThe Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
BerberBerber peopleBerbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
s: Garamentes, Tuareg, and others - Libyan culture during the Phoenican–PunicPunicsThe Punics were a group of western Semitic-speaking peoples from Carthage in North Africa who traced their origins to a group of Phoenician and Cypriot settlers, but also to North African Berbers . Punics were probably a mix of Berbers and Phoenicians in terms of culture and ancestry...
–Greco–Roman LibyaRoman LibyaThe area of North Africa which has been known as Libya since 1911 was under Roman domination between 146 BC and 670 AD.The Latin name Libya at the time referred to the continent of Africa in general....
–Byzantine–Ottoman Libya-era traditions - Islamic architectureIslamic architectureIslamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
- Italian LibyaItalian LibyaItalian Libya was a unified colony of Italian North Africa established in 1934 in what represents present-day Libya...
, World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Libyan independence, and 20th-century Libyan heritage - Natural HistoryNatural HistoryNatural history is the scientific study of plants or animals.Natural History may also refer to:In science and medicine:* Natural History , Naturalis Historia, a 1st-century work by Pliny the Elder...
of the Libyan region
See also
- History of Islamic Tripolitania and CyrenaicaHistory of Islamic Tripolitania and CyrenaicaArab rule in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica began as early as the 7th century. With tenuous Byzantine control over Libya restricted to a few poorly defended coastal strongholds, the Arab horsemen who first crossed into Pentapolis, Cyrenaica in September 642 encountered little resistance...
- History of LibyaHistory of LibyaThe History of Libya includes the history of its rich mix of ethnic groups added to the indigenous Berber tribes. Berbers, the bulk of Libya's population, have been present throughout the entire history of the country. For most of its history, Libya has been subjected to varying degrees of foreign...
- Leptis MagnaLeptis MagnaLeptis Magna also known as Lectis Magna , also called Lpqy, Neapolis, Lebida or Lebda to modern-day residents of Libya, was a prominent city of the Roman Empire. Its ruins are located in Khoms, Libya, east of Tripoli, on the coast where the Wadi Lebda meets the sea...
- List of museums in Libya