"Tripoli" Top 5 Page for this destination Tripoli by sachara

Tripoli Travel Guide: 136 reviews and 393 photos

view from the castle at Tripoli - Tripoli

Tripoli or Trablous is the second largest city of Lebanon.
Tripoli has two main parts: the Old City with many medieval monuments like souqs, mosques and a huge Crusader castle and the port area Al-Mina with a lovely Corniche and good streetfood.

Some of the oldest evidence of human existance in Libanon has been found an the outskirts of the present city of Tripoli at a place called Bahsas, where they found stone tools dating back tens of thousands of years.

The original Phoenician city, founded around 800 BC, was situated in the area of Al-Minia, but nothing remains.
The Greek named the city Tripolis as capital of Phoenician federation ( Byblos, Sidon and Aradus).
A huge earthquake in 543 AD destroyed most of the town.
In 635 AD the city was captured by the Umayyads and in 1109 AD by the Crusaders.
In 1289 the Mameluke sultan took the city, but made territorial concessions to the Muslims, who built a town at the banks of the river near the castle, the present Old City.
The picture gives the view from the castle at the old city and the modern areas, spreading out from the old town.

Last visit to Tripoli: Apr 1995
Intro Updated Apr 8, 2011
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Reviews (11)

Ain Aakrine Off The Beaten Path (3)

South east of Tripoli between Zgharta and Ehden you can make a detour of 10 KM to the hill, Ain Aakrine or Qasr... more travel advice

Tower of Babel, phantasy of a dentist Off The Beaten Path (3)

In the restaurant of the Tower of Babel they eaxplained us, that all we saw, was the phantasy and creation of a Lebanese... more travel advice

Tower of Babel Off The Beaten Path (3)

From Tripoli and Anfe we headed to the east for a visit to the Kadisha Valley. First we saw Roman graves in the rocky... more travel advice

Sweets in the Old City and dinner in Al Mina - Tripoli

Sweets in the Old City and dinner in Al... Restaurants (1)

During our visit to the old town went also to one of the famous sweet-shops Raf-at Hallab Fils and tried the famous... more travel advice

Shopping (1)
Souqs and shops

Things to Do (6)
See All Grand Mosque

Comments (9)

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kyoub Mar 15, 2009 at 6:30 AM

Great page. The view of the old city from the riverbank must have been amazing. Lebanese food and wine, delicious!
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Nemorino Oct 15, 2008 at 2:14 PM

I'm impressed by the initiative and imagination of that Lebanese dentist to create a "Tower of Babel" to promote peace in an imaginative and not-deadly-serious way.
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MM212 Sep 20, 2006 at 10:12 AM

I did not get to see Khan el Khayyatin or Tanyal Mosque when I was in Tripoli. Hopefully I'll get to go again.
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TheWanderingCamel May 1, 2006 at 11:02 PM

You would find Tripoli quite unchanged in many ways if you went back though nowadays there's someone to pay at the citadel. I love it. leyle
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Toyin Jan 29, 2005 at 8:46 AM

Tripoli and Oil, hope you got yourself some oil contracts Ali. Regards.
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LotusV8 Jun 12, 2004 at 5:24 AM

Wonderful info, Lebanon on my wishlist, thanks for the insights. Per
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matcrazy1 Apr 12, 2004 at 1:54 PM

Another awesome page!
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herzog63 Oct 18, 2003 at 1:13 PM

To wander these lanes of Tripoli and come upon the souks must be fantastic!! Another superb page!!
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dr.firas Oct 14, 2003 at 7:34 AM

I know that feeling of magic walking through those ancient places! great page! you put all I wanted to put and missed in my Tripoli page, so yours is much better! :-)