"Tripoli" a Tripoli Travel Page by Cham

Tripoli is lebanon's second largest city, and became part of lebanon in 1920. The city's name is of greek origin meaning "triple city" and today it is still a busy trading hub because of it's natural ports and 500,000 inhabitants, not to mention the Large souks in downtown.

Under Roman rule in about 64 BC the city flourished and was extended south. This was detroyed along with other coastal cities by an earthquake and tidal wave in 551. In the 9th century BC the Pheonicians established a small trading center there. In direct competition with sidon and tyre as port towns to control the sea trade. Later the city was taken over by the persians and then in the 12th century it was invaded by the crusaders who destroyed much of the city including the Dar ll-llm library along with it's volumes. The city was ruled by the crusaders for approx 180 years and fell in 1289 to the Mamluk Sultan Qalaoun who destroyed the port city (Al-Mina) and a new city to be built inland nearer the castle.

The city then fell into Ottoman rule in 1516 and has remained a commericially important port ever since. In 1918 the turks gave up Tripoli and it became officially a part of lebanon in 1920.