When the settlement was first founded by the Greeks, it was known as Balagrae. During Fascist Italian rule, the city was known as "Beda Littoria". During monarchy, the zāwiyah at Bayḍāʾ was considered a focal point for the Senussi movement, and in addition to the zāwiyah, the city was also the political capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Libya until the 1969 Libyan coup d'état. The zāwiyah still exists, but it is in a neglected state and sits near Omar Al-Mukhtar University at the western entrance to the city.