Zawali

Zawali is a toponym used in several Arab-speaking regions. The name derives from the Arabic word zawiya, which can refer to a corner or alcove and, in religious usage, to a Sufi lodge or corner of a mosque. As such, places called Zawali or its variants often developed around a zawiya or religious center, and the term has come to denote a settlement, neighborhood, or district associated with such institutions.

The best-known locality associated with the name is Zawiya (al-Zawiyah), a coastal city in Libya located west of Tripoli. It serves as the capital of the Zawiya District and has historical and economic significance tied to its proximity to the Libyan capital and local industry.

Across North Africa and the Middle East, there are smaller towns and villages that bear the name or its variants, reflecting historical patterns of religious centers and monastic or educational establishments. The transliteration of the name varies, with forms such as Zawiya, Zawiyah, and Zawali appearing in different maps and texts.

In historical and linguistic contexts, zawiya denotes a religious or educational institution, and this association helps explain why multiple places adopted the name. Modern references to Zawali typically point to the Libyan city or to other locales that retain the toponym in local usage. See also Zawiya or Zawiyah for related spellings and broader context of the term.