On the world map there are at least three cities called Tripoli: in Libya, Lebanon, Greece. And there are many geographic features with a similar name. Here, say, Tripoli, a small village south of Kiev. But he gave the name of one of the Neolithic cultures. In this article we will consider two Tripoli. The capital of which country bears this harmonious name, which is translated from the Greek language as "trogrady"? And then what is the second Tripoli? What to see in these two Arab cities? Read about it below.
Tripoli - the capital of Libya
We will not keep the intrigue for a long time and clarify everything at once. Tripoli is officially considered the capital of Libya. The country is located in the north of the African continent. Therefore, Libya is dominated by a dry Mediterranean climate. Tripoli is located in the north-west of the country. It is the largest city in Libya. In 2007, a million seven hundred eighty thousand people lived here. These are mainly Berbers (indigenous people), Arabs and Tuaregs. Tripoli is also one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean Sea. The university is located here, many international trading companies have opened their representative offices. However, it does not feel at all that Tripoli is the capital of the country. According to the decentralization program adopted in 1988, all the Libyan ministries, except the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were transferred to other settlements. Only the numerous embassies remind of the capital status of Tripoli. The city has other names. Arabs call him Tarabulius el Garb, and the Berbers - Trables.
Tripoli History
This is a very ancient city. It was founded by the Phoenicians in the seventh century BC. Then it was called Ea and was the capital of the Sirtik region. The ancient Romans called it Oea. The favorable 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 tidbit in the eyes of various conquerors. In the Hellenistic period, Ea was called the Greek word "tripolis" (triad), since two new regions 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 moved to the Arab caliphate. In the Middle Ages, he repeatedly passed from hand to hand. It was owned by Arabs, Spaniards, knights of the Order of Malta. From the sixteenth until the beginning of the twentieth century, the city was part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1911, Italy captured Libya, and in 1943 the British troops. Finally, in 1951, the country gained independence. Since that time Tripoli is the capital of Libya.
The city's attractions
When guns speak, muses may not be silent. But what definitely doesn't work is tourism. Libya is constantly unlucky with this industry. Until 2003, UN sanctions were in force. 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, stopped the tourist flow. A pity: in Tripoli itself and its environs there is something to see. The ancient city center, Medina, towering on a rocky cape - is a museum under the sky. All of it is surrounded by walls. The color of the ancient Arab city has remained in Medina: small adobe houses with flat roofs, narrow curved streets, bitches - a colorful oriental bazaar. There are many mosques. The oldest - Naga - dates from the tenth century. The multi-domed mosque of Karamanli (XVIII century) and Gurja with the highest minaret in the city are also beautiful. It is also worth mentioning such attractions of the Tripoli of Lisbon as the Red Palace or Kasba-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, Beirut is considered the main city. 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 he bore a different name, and not one. In the fourteenth century BC, he was called Achliya, then, during the time of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (888–859 BC), Mahallat. There were other names: Kaisa, Maiza, Atar ... Since the city was the capital of the Confederation of the Phoenician cities of Tire, Sidon and Arvad, the Greeks began to call it "trogrady", that is, Tripolis. Over the centuries, he consistently passed from the Persians to the Romans, Arabs, European crusaders, Mamluks, Turks. From the twelfth to the thirteenth century there was a Christian county of Tripoli. So the city also visited the capital.
Sights of Lebanon Tripoli
When traveling in 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 journey there takes only an hour and a half. It should be said that the current Tripoli stands at a distance from the antique. When the Mamluks captured the city, they slaughtered its entire population. Therefore, the current Tripoli begins from the fourteenth century.
Arabic color is the main attraction of the old city. You should visit the oldest bazaar of El Haraj, wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets, see the famous mosques Tainal, Burtazia, the quarter of Kvartavviya, the Church of St. John, the Baths of Hammam El Jadid and El Abed, the castle of the Toulouse Earl of 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-Fayh" - "exuding aroma."
Metropolitan ambitions
The second largest city of Lebanon is not going to concede superiority to Beirut. Locals claim that Tripoli is the capital of the country in at least three ways. Firstly, by the abundance of citrus orchards. Tasty fresh squeezed on every corner at ridiculous prices, and not only from the usual orange oranges, but also from red, very sweet. Tripoli - the capital of what else? Eastern sweets. Being here and not trying mom, 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-Saif, 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 a hotel for them, Khan El-Sabun ("Soap Caravanserai").