Darnah, city on the northern coast of the Cyrenaica region, in northeastern Libya. Darnah is located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, 254 km (158 mi) east of the city of Bangh?z?. Palm groves and fruit and vegetable gardens surround the city. The chief architectural landmark in the city is the Great Mosque, a building with 42 cupolas. Darnah has a small port, and several good roads lead east and west.
Darnah is the site of the ancient Greek city of Darnis, which became a bishopric of some importance following the establishment of the Byzantine Empire in the 4th century. After the Arab conquest of Cyrenaica in the 7th century Darnah decayed, reviving somewhat under the Karamanli rulers of Tripoli. During the Tripolitan War (1801-1805), when the United States waged war on the Tripolitan pasha and his corsairs, an American military expedition set out from Alexandria, Egypt, led by General William Eaton. This expedition captured Darnah on April 27, 1805, and during the brief U.S. occupation a fort was built that still remains. After the withdrawal of the American forces, the Ottomans, who followed, did little to improve Darnah, and their rule ended after the Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912). Under Italian administration, Italian colonists were encouraged to settle there. During World War II (1939-1945) Darnah was captured and recaptured several times as the campaign in North Africa progressed. It was finally taken by British forces in November 1942. Population (1984) 105,031.
