On the world map there are at least three cities named Tripoli: in Libya, Lebanon, Greece. And there are many geographical objects with a similar name. Here, for example, Trypillya, a small village south of Kyiv. But he gave the name to one of the Neolithic cultures. In this article we will consider two Tripoli. The capital of which country bears this euphonious name, which is translated from Greek as "three cities"? And what then is the second Tripoli? What to see in these two Arab cities? Read more about it below.
Tripoli is the capital of Libya
Let's not keep the intrigue for a long time and clarify everything at once. Tripoli is officially the capital of Libya. The country is located in the north of the African continent. Therefore, Libya has a dry Mediterranean climate. The city of Tripoli is located in the northwest of the country. It is the largest city in Libya. In 2007, one million seven hundred and eighty thousand people lived here. These are predominantly Berbers (indigenous), Arabs and Tuareg. Tripoli is also one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean. The university is located here, many international trading companies have opened theirrepresentations. At the same time, it does not feel at all that Tripoli is the capital of the country. According to the decentralization program adopted in 1988, all Libyan ministries, except for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were transferred to other settlements. Only numerous embassies remind of the capital status of Tripoli. The city has other names as well. The Arabs call it Tarabulus el Gharb, and the Berbers call it Trables.
History of Tripoli
This is a very ancient city. It was founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC. Then it was called Ea and was the capital of the region of Sirtica. The ancient Romans called it Oea. The advantageous strategic position on the cape near the bay of the Mediterranean Sea contributed to the development of trade and crafts. But it also made the city a tasty morsel in the eyes of various conquerors. In the Hellenistic period, Ea was called the Greek word "tripolis" (triple city), since two new districts adjoined the ancient center. In 105 BC. e. The city became part of the Roman Empire. Until the seventh century, Tripolis was one of the major cities of Byzantium. After the Arab conquest, he went to the Arab Caliphate. In the Middle Ages, it repeatedly passed from hand to hand. It was owned by Arabs, Spaniards, knights of the Order of M alta. From the sixteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century, the city was part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1911, Libya was captured by Italy, and in 1943 by British troops. Finally, in 1951, the country gained independence. Since that time, Tripoli has been the capital of Libya.
City attractions
When the guns speak, the muses may not be silent. Butwhat definitely does not work is tourism. Libya has consistently had bad luck with this industry. Until 2003, UN sanctions were in effect. When they were removed, Tripoli - the capital of Libya and its largest port, began to develop rapidly. But a new conflict, which began in August 2011, cut off the flow of tourists. It's a pity: in Tripoli itself and its environs there is something to see. Perched on a rocky promontory, the ancient center of the city, Medina, is a museum under the sky. All of it is surrounded by fortified walls. The medina has preserved the flavor of an old Arab city: small adobe houses with flat roofs, narrow crooked streets, souq - a colorful oriental bazaar. There are many mosques here. The oldest - Naga - dates back to the tenth century. Also beautiful are the multi-domed Karamanli mosque (XVIII century) and Gurji with the highest minaret in the city. It is also worth mentioning such sights of Lycian Tripoli as the Red Palace or Kasbah Saray al-Hamra, the triumphal arch of Marcus Aurelius (164 AD), the Archaeological Museum with a rich collection of mosaics.
Second Tripoli - the capital?
Lebanon is a state in the Middle East, the main city is Beirut. But the local Tripoli is the second most important in the country. Its population is five hundred thousand people. It is also a very ancient city. It was founded, like its African namesake, by the Phoenicians. Naturally, at first it had a different name, and more than one. In the fourteenth century BC, it was called Ahlia, then, during the time of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (888-859 BC), - Mahallata. There were other names: Kaiza, Maiza, Atar … Since the city was the capital of the confederation of the Phoenician cities of Tyre, Sidon and Arvad, the Greeks began to call it the "tricity", that is, Tripolis. Over the centuries, he successively passed from the Persians to the Romans, Arabs, European crusaders, Mamluks, Turks. From the twelfth to the thirteenth century, there was also the Christian county of Tripoli. So the city was also the capital.
Sights of Lebanese Tripoli
Traveling around this Middle Eastern country, you should definitely visit Tripoli. The capital of Lebanon - Beirut - is located only 86 kilometers south of this city, so the road there will take only an hour and a half. It should be said that the current Tripoli stands at a distance from the ancient one. When the Mamluks captured the city, they massacred its entire population. Therefore, the current Tripoli begins in the fourteenth century.
Arabic flavor is the main attraction of the old city. You should visit the most ancient bazaar El-Kharaj, wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets, see the famous Taynal, Burtasia mosques, Quartavvia madrasah, the Church of St. John, the baths of Hammam El Jadid and El Abed, the castle of the Toulouse Count Saint-Gilles. It is good to come to Tripoli at the time of flowering of citrus orchards. There are so many of them that a pleasant smell of orange blossom spreads throughout the big city. Therefore, the Lebanese call Tripoli "al-faiha" - "exuding fragrance."
Capital ambitions
The second largest city in Lebanon is notis going to cede the championship to Beirut. Local residents claim that Tripoli is the capital of the country in at least three ways. First, by the abundance of citrus orchards. Delicious fresh juice will be squeezed out for you at every corner at ridiculous prices, and not only from orange oranges that we are used to, but also from red, very sweet ones. Tripoli is the capital of what else? Eastern sweets. To be here and not try mamul, baklava and kunafe is just a crime. And finally, Tripoli is the birthplace of the first advertising campaign. In the 15th century, the ruler of the city, Yusuf Be-Sayfa, founded the production of olive soap. Pieces of fragrant detergent were distributed free of charge in major European cities. After that, Tripoli began to receive numerous merchants and built for them the hotel Khan El-Sabun ("Soap Caravanserai").
