[2] 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.

Archaeological evidence shows that Greek presence at Barca dates back to the seventh century BC.

[5][6] The Achaemenid king, Darius I, settled some of the Barcan captives in a village in Bactria, which was still flourishing in Herodotus' time.

[9] In 324 BC, a Spartan mercenary leader, Thibron, joined forces with Cyrenean and Barcan exiles on Crete and invaded Cyrenaica.

[2] Its decline was significant enough that when the Pentapolis, the league of the five most prominent cities of Cyrenaica, developed in the late Hellenistic period, Barca was not a member.

[2] When the Ottoman Turks conquered the region in 1521, they used the Turkish form "Barka" for the province, but did not retain the city's status as its capital.

Synesius of Cyrene (370–414 AD), Bishop of Ptolemais, received his instruction at Alexandria in both the Catechetical School and the Museion, and he retained a great deal of reverence and affection for Hypatia, the last pagan Neoplatonist, whose classes he had attended.

[18][19][20][21] 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.