The educational activities in the last Ottoman Period in Tripoli province (1835-1911)

Tripoli province is a large and strategically important province which includes the middle parts of northern Africa of the Ottoman Empire. It includes the territory of today's Libyan State. Tripoli Province comprises of Tripoli city center being in the first place, Benghazi, Derne, Tobruk, Hums, Zuvâra, Beni Velid, Cebel, Fizan Gıryân, Tarhûne, Aziziye, Acîlât (Uceylat) Zaviye administrations and districts. It increased its importance for the Ottoman Empire after the European colonial powers have an eye on North Africa in the 19th century. In order to hold Tripoli, the Ottoman Empire made reforms in military, political, social, cultural and economic issues, regenerated traditional educational institutions (zaviye schools) and additionally opened modern educational schools (secondary schools, high schools, military intermediate schools and industry schools). These schools were tried to spread to the farthest corners of the country, their expenses were covered, teachers were appointed, libraries were established, scholarships were provided to the students and boarding departments were created for accommodating the tribal children from distant parts of the country. In this study, the educational activities in the period from 1835, when the modernization movements of the Ottoman Empire began to intensify in the Tripoli Province, until 1911, when the region was occupied by the Italians, were discussed and the traditional and modern educational institutions were examined. This study has filled an important gap in terms of determining the value that the Ottoman Empire gave to the Tripoli Province lately, the educational mobilization implemented in the region and the high effort it has shown to protect the country's lands against the invasions of the Western colonial powers.