Benghazi
Benghazi is the second-largest city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica, with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023.
Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean, Benghazi is also a major seaport.
Getting to Benghazi
- 01Benina Airport
Worth seeing
- 01Benghazi Cathedral
Constructed during the 1930s in a neo-classical style, the Benghazi Cathedral used to be one of the largest churches in North Africa.
- 02Atiq Mosque
This museum is the palace from which King Idris declared independence from Italy in 1951.
Where to eat
Anything. There is nothing that isn't acceptable to the western palate - the food can be quite spicy, although not excessively so. Traditional Libyan fare appears to be couscous, kebabs, spicy potatoes, salads, and nothing that you wouldn't find in London. There are a number of good restaurants. Although very basic by western standards, they do produce good meals.
Getting around Benghazi the local way
- Get aroundThey are either minibuses that travel round a predefined route or black and white cars (dead pandas) with taxi signs.
From Wikivoyage: Benghazi, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-06.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.