Cyrenaique

Cyrenaique is the French name for what is called Cyrenaica in English and Cirenaica in Italian. The Arab name is Barqah. The main city is Bengazi.
Willem von Erpecom, 23 August 2000

After the decree establishing the autonomy of Cyrenaique on 31 October 1919, the Italians granted Idriss el Senoussi as Emir on 25 October 1919, but with authority only on the regions of Koufrah, Djarabouh, Audjila and Djalo, with Adjedabia (Agedabia) as the capital. The text of the treaty states that the Emir was allowed to hoist his flag along with the Italian one, but does not describe the flag. The Senoussis used mostly black or white flags ornamented with Quran verses. The flags had sometimes a coloured border.

The treaty was denounced by the Italians in 1920.

After the Italian defeat of 1943 and the French-British occupation of Libya, Italy abandoned the control of Libya by the treaty of Paris (10 February 1947). Emir Idriss proclaimed the independence of Cyrenaique on 1st March 1949, and was granted as Emir by the Allied in June. On 24 December 1951, Libya became finally an independent kingdom, as the federation of Tripolitania, Cyrenaique and Fezzan. The federal system was abolished on 27 April 1963.

The 1947 flag is a black field with crescent and star. It might have been the