The Coasts of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania in the Byzantine-Islamic Conflict During the First Phase of the Conquest under Umar ibn al-Khattab

Abstract

This study examines the coasts of Barqa (Cyrenaica) and Tripoli in the Byzantine–Muslim conflict during the first phase of the Muslim conquest under Caliph ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, focusing on the strategic and military significance of the coastal zone between Barqa and Tripoli during 22–23 AH/642–644 CE. This period marked a significant transition from Byzantine control to the early establishment of Muslim presence west of Egypt. The research problem arises from the apparent contrast between the Byzantine concentration on fortified coastal cities, ports, and defensive positions and the relatively rapid submission of Barqa and Ajdabiya, compared with the more prolonged resistance encountered during the siege of Tripoli. The study also investigates the similarities and differences among Arabic historical narratives concerning the campaign, particularly the account of Tripoli’s capture from the seaward side, and critically compares these narratives with French historical and Orientalist interpretations.

The study adopts a historical, analytical, critical, and comparative approach, examining the chronological and geographical sequence of the campaign and distinguishing primary narrative evidence from later historical interpretation. The findings indicate that Byzantine authority was more effective in fortified coastal and urban centers and that the Muslim advance resulted from an interaction of military, political, geographical, and local factors rather than from a single cause. Tripoli demonstrated comparatively stronger defensive capacity, while the sources generally agree on the core event of its siege and capture but differ regarding the details of the seaward entry and the fate of its inhabitants. The study concludes that ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ’s campaign should not be interpreted as the completion of the Muslim conquest of North Africa, but rather as a foundational phase that altered the regional balance of power and paved the way for subsequent Muslim expansion into the Maghreb.