Country history · Africa

History of Libya

44 recorded states lay in what is now Libya, from Libu (1300 BCE). 2 of them have a full profile, and 22 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)9 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

14th century BCE

  1. Libu1300 BCE – 700 BCE · tribal confederation
  2. Meshwesh1300 BCE – 700 BCE · tribal confederation

7th century BCE

  1. Leptis Magna650 BCE – 46 BCE · city state
  2. Kingdom of Cyrene631 BCE – 440 BCE · kingdom
  3. Euesperides600 BCE – 322 BCE · city state

6th century BCE

  1. Barca560 BCE – 322 BCE · city state
  2. Macae500 BCE – 200 CE · tribal confederation
  3. Nasamones500 BCE – 86 CE · tribal confederation

5th century BCE

  1. Republic of Cyrene440 BCE – 322 BCE · city state

4th century BCE

  1. Marmaridae300 BCE – 400 CE · tribal confederation

3rd century BCE

  1. Kingdom of Cyrene under Magas276 BCE – 250 BCE · kingdom

2nd century BCE

  1. Ptolemaic Kingdom of Cyrene163 BCE – 96 BCE · kingdom
  2. Africa Proconsularis146 BCE – 439 CE · profile

1st century BCE

  1. Roman Cyrenaica74 BCE – 643 CE · other

4th century

  1. Tripolitania303 CE – 643 CE · other
  2. Austuriani360 CE – 450 CE · tribal confederation

5th century

  1. Laguatan400 CE – 700 CE · tribal confederation
  2. Vandal Kingdom435 CE – 534 CE · kingdom

6th century

  1. Praetorian Prefecture of Africa534 CE – 591 CE · other
  2. Exarchate of Africa591 CE – 698 CE · other

8th century

  1. Ibadi Imamate of Tripolitania757 CE – 761 CE · theocracy
  2. Rustamid imamate777 CE – 909 CE · theocracy

9th century

  1. Aghlabid emirate800 CE – 909 CE · emirate

10th century

  1. Banu Khattab emirate918 CE – 1172 CE · emirate
  2. Zirid emirate972 CE – 1148 CE · emirate

12th century

  1. Kingdom of Africa1146 CE – 1160 CE · colony
  2. Qaraqush's Tripolitania1172 CE – 1212 CE · other
  3. Banu Ghaniya of Ifriqiya1184 CE – 1233 CE · emirate

13th century

  1. Hafsid Sultanate1229 CE – 1574 CE · profile

16th century

  1. Spanish Tripoli1510 CE – 1530 CE · colony
  2. Hospitaller Tripoli1530 CE – 1551 CE · colony
  3. Sultanate of Fezzan1550 CE – 1812 CE · sultanate
  4. Ottoman Tripolitania1551 CE – 1711 CE · other

17th century

  1. Kel Ajjer1660 CE – 1916 CE · tribal confederation

18th century

  1. Derdeship of Tibesti1700 CE – 1930 CE · chiefdom
  2. Karamanli Tripoli1711 CE – 1835 CE · other

19th century

  1. Tripolitania Vilayet1835 CE – 1912 CE · other
  2. Senussi Order1843 CE – 1951 CE · theocracy

20th century

  1. Italian Libya1912 CE – 1943 CE · colony
  2. Tripolitanian Republic1918 CE – 1922 CE · republic
  3. British Military Administration of Libya1943 CE – 1951 CE · other
  4. Fezzan-Ghadames Military Territory1943 CE – 1951 CE · other
  5. Emirate of Cyrenaica1949 CE – 1951 CE · emirate
  6. Kingdom of Libya1951 CE – 1969 CE · kingdom

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Egypt, North Africa and Sudan → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of Libya. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/libya
MLA
“History of Libya.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/libya. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of Libya.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/libya.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of Libya’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/libya (Accessed: ).