Musaid

{{Short description|Town in Butnan, Libya}}

{{For|the poet and general|Musaid al-Rashidi}}

{{Infobox settlement

|official_name =Musaid

|other_name =Imsasd, Msaad

|native_name = {{lang|ar|امساعد}}

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|settlement_type = Town

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|pushpin_label_position =bottom

|pushpin_map_caption =Location in Libya

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|subdivision_name = {{flag|Libya}}

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|subdivision_name1 = Cyrenaica

|subdivision_type2 = District

|subdivision_name2 = Butnan

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|population_footnotes =Amraja M. el Khajkhaj, "Noumou al Mudon as Sagheera fi Libia", Dar as Saqia, Benghazi-2008, p.120

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Musaid or Imsaad ({{langx|ar|امساعد}}) is a town in Butnan District in eastern Libya. Alternates names include: Oistant, Msa'ed, Imsa'ed, and Musa'ed. Musaid lies approximately {{convert|150|km|mi|abbr=off}} east of Tobruk and is the major border crossing between Libya and Egypt.

History

Musaid was the site of heavy fighting during the brief Libyan–Egyptian War of 1977. This war, the break-off of Libyan-Egyptian diplomatic relations, and the resultant trade embargo with Egypt, had a very negative impact on Musaid. For example, Musaid's population shrank from 4,330 in 1973 to 3,200 in 1984 (-26.1%),El Hadi Mustapha Bulegma, & Saad Khalil Kezeiri (ed.), "Al Jamahiriya: Dirasa fil Jughrafia", Ad Dar al Jamahiriya lil nashr wa tawzee wa e'lan, Surt, Libya, 1995, pp. 414, 418 while overall Libya's population rose in the same period by 60.30%.Subhi Gannus (ed.), "Libia ath Thawra fi Thalatheena Aaman", Ad Dar al Jamahiriya lil nashr wa tawzee wa e'lan, Misrata, Libya, p.67

Culture

Nearby is the Sidi Shahir Ruhih shrine.[http://travelingluck.com/Africa/Libya/%C5%A2ubruq/_81865_S%C4%ABd%C4%AB+Sh%C4%81hir+R%C5%AB%E1%B8%A9ih.html#local_map "Sīdī Shāhir Rūḩih, in Ţubruq, Libya"] Travelingluck.com, accessed 9 May 2009

Economy

Musaid's economy depended heavily on trade between Egypt and Libya. After the 1977 war and the follow-on trade embargo with Egypt, this was replaced in part by smuggling, aided by the close tribal ties across the border.[http://www.panoramalibya.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=96 "عاجل : وجود تمركز مكثف لقوات الأمن العام ( الدعم المركزي ) بمنطقة ..." ("public security forces concentrated in distant border region")] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028075846/http://www.panoramalibya.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=96 |date=2009-10-28 }} 14 November 2008, Panorama Libya, in Arabic In 2008, the Libyan government acted to suppress the smugglers.

Border crossing

As of autumn 2010, a large suite of new border facilities is under construction.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

See also

Notes