20th Century

Mosque building in the twentieth century, when newly independent states raised great congregational mosques and migrant communities built for themselves. The result set traditional forms alongside reinforced concrete, new engineering and contemporary design.

Omar al-Mukhtar (1858-1931) was a Libyan resistance leader who fought Italian colonization for over twenty years. Known as the 'Lion of the Desert,' he became a symbol of anti-colonial resistance and Islamic steadfastness, leading guerrilla warfare until his capture and execution at age 73.