Minting Gold at Zawīlah: A Case for Zawīlah Ibn Khaṭṭāb in Libya

Abstract

This article examines a group of Fatimid gold dinars bearing the mint name Zawīlah, including coins from the 2015 Caesarea hoard. Through numismatic, historical, and archaeological analysis, the authors argue that the mint was located in Zawīlah Ibn Khaṭṭāb, a Libyan oasis town active in trans-Saharan trade. The study assembles all known coins from this mint and dates its activity to 1003–1025 CE. It suggests that local Ibāḍī rulers minted these coins under nominal Fatimid suzerainty to assert control over the gold trade and align themselves with imperial authority in a strategically vital Saharan region.