page_title: Atiq Mosque, Awjila
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Atiq Mosque, Awjila / History
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Awjila (Libia) - The Mosque of Atiq
context_page_description: The Atiq Mosque is a mosque in the oasis village of Awjila, in the Sahara desert of the Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya. The community dates back to classical times. Since being taken by the Arabs in the seventh century, Islam has always played a central role in the life of Awjila. The 12th-century mosque, the oldest in the region, has unusual conical domes made of mudbrick and limestone that provide light and ventilation.
context_section_description: The Arabs launched a campaign against the Byzantine Empire soon after Muhammad died in 632, quickly conquering Syria, Persia and Egypt. After occupying Alexandria in 643, they swept along the Mediterranean coast of Africa, taking Cyrenaica in 644, Tripolitania in 646 and Fezzan in 663.
  The region around Awjila was conquered by Sidi 'Abdullāh ibn Sa'ad ibn Abī as-Sarḥ.
  His tomb was established in Awjila around 650.
  After being introduced in the seventh century, Islam has always been a major influence on the life of the oasis.
  The Arab chronicler Al-Bakri says that there were already several mosques around the oasis by the 11th century.
  Starting in the 1960s, the oil industry drove growth in the once-sleepy village.
  By 1968, the population of the village had increased to about 2,000 people, and by 1982 it had risen to over 4,000, supported by twelve mosques.
caption: Roof of the Atiq Mosque
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