Barca (ancient city)

Ancient city of Libya

Barca (Latin), also known as Barke (, Bárkē), Barka, Barqa, Barqah (برقة, ), and Barce (Latin & Italian) was an ancient, medieval, and early modern city located at the site of Marj in northeastern Libya. It remains a Roman Catholic and Orthodox titular see.

Barca was situated at the site of the old town of Marj, approximately northeast of Benghazi. No remains of the ancient settlement are visible at Marj, but some of the finds made there during the Italian colonial dominance of Libya (1913–41) are on display in the museum at Tolmeita. Barca appears to be originally a settlement of the Libyan tribe Barraci. Later, Greek settlers from Cyrene colonized it. Archaeological evidence shows that Greek presence at Barca goes back to the seventh century BC. The city became a major economic centre, due to its agricultural wealth. By the second half of the fifth century, Barca seems to been the dominant city in the region. In 324 BC, a Spartan mercenary leader, Thibron, joined forces with Cyrenean and Barcan exiles on Crete and invaded Cyrenaica. He was expelled, but returned in 322 BC. Cyreneans appealed to Ptolemy I who sent troops. Barca was absorbed into the Ptolemaic empire along with the rest of Cyrenaica. It was quickly eclipsed by its old port, which now received the name Ptolemais. and by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria. Although it was often destroyed and then restored during the Roman period, becoming a mere borough, Barca was, nevertheless, the seat of a bishopric. The bishops who participated in the First Council of Nicaea in 325 included the Arian Zopyros of Barca. Zenobius signed the acts of the Council of Ephesus in 431 and Theodorus took part in the Robber Council of Ephesus in 449, whose decisions were overthrown by the Council of Chalcedon in 451.

The Metropolitan of Western Pentapolis held the most senior position in the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church after that of the Pope of Alexandria. Since the demise of that eparchy as a major Archiepiscopal Metropolis in the days of Pope John VI of Alexandria, the position is held as a titular see attached to another diocese.

Also for the Catholic Church, Barca, no longer a residential bishopric, is today listed as a titular see. Over the past century there have been 11 bishops of the Catholic titular See. The most recent has been Andraos Salama prior to his appointment as bishop of the Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Giza.