Shifting Perceptions of Shared History in Post-Independence Libya

The article presents the key elements of Libyan national historiography since independence and trace the main trends and shifts in writing and narrating national history that have emerged in post-2011 Libya. The first section highlights the writing of a national history considered as a key element in the country’s post-colonial period, both under the Sanusi monarchy and during the regime of Muʿammar Qaddafi. The second section argues that in post-2011 Libya political change has translated into a new interest in history and in the writing of national history and sensitive topics, such as the role of minorities in the formation of the nation-state and the use of political violence begin to be discussed.