Sirte (also spelled Sirt, Surt, Sert or Syrte, pronounced /ˈsɜrt/; Arabic: سرت, from Ancient Greek: Σύρτις) is a city in Libya. It is on the south coast of the Gulf of Sidra (ancient Syrtis Major, from which Sirte's name derives). Sirte lies halfway between Tripoli and Benghazi. The settlement was established in the early 20th century by the Italians, at the site of a 19th-century fortress built by the Ottomans. It grew into a city after World War II. Sirte was briefly the capital of Gaddafi-controlled Libya after the capture of Tripoli during the final days of the Libyan civil war.