page_title: Turks in Libya
section_title: Ottoman Libya
hierarchical_section_title: Turks in Libya / History / Ottoman Libya
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Tripoli- Karamanli-Haus,1750 English: Courtyard at Karamanli house, Tripoli.
context_page_description: The Turks in Libya, also commonly referred to as Libyan Turks, Turco-Libyans, and Turkish-Libyans are the ethnic Turks who live in Libya. According to the last census which allowed citizens to declare their ethnicity, the Turkish minority formed the third largest ethnic group in the country, after the Arabs and Berbers, and they mainly live in Misrata, Tripoli, Zawiya, Benghazi and Derna.
  During Ottoman rule in Libya, Turkish settlers began to migrate to the region from across the empire. A significant number of Turks intermarried with the native population, and the male offspring of these marriages were referred to as Kouloughlis due to their mixed heritage. However, in general, intermarriage was discouraged, in order to preserve the "Turkishness" of the community. Consequently, the terms "Turks" and "Kouloughlis" have traditionally been used to distinguish between those of full and partial Turkish ancestry. The Turkish community has traditionally dominated the political life of Libya.
context_section_description: When the Ottoman Empire conquered Libya in 1551 the Turks began migrating to the region mostly from Anatolia, including merchants and families. In addition, many Turkish soldiers married Libyan women and their children were known as the "Kouloughlis" (also referred to as the "Cologhla", "Qulaughli" and "Cologhli").
  Today there are still Libyans who regard their ethnicity as Turkish, or acknowledge their descendants to the Turkish soldiers who settled in the area during the Ottoman rule. Indeed, many families in Libya can trace their origins through their surnames. It is very common for families to have surnames that belong to the region of Turkey that their ancestors migrated from; for example, Tokatlı, Eskişehirli, Muğlalı, and İzmirli are very common surnames.
caption: Courtyard of the Karamanly House Museum. The historic house was built by Yusuf Karamanli.
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