Tripoli

Tripoli is the capital of Libya, a port city on the Mediterranean coast in the northwest of the country. Its name comes from the Greek Tripolis, three cities, after Oea, Sabratha and Leptis Magna. In Arabic it is called Tarabulus al-Gharb, Tripoli of the West, to tell it from Tripoli in Lebanon.

The Phoenicians founded Oea, the town that grew into Tripoli, in the 7th century BC, and it later became a Roman city. The Arch of Marcus Aurelius, built in the 2nd century AD, still stands near the harbor. Arab rule came in the 7th century, and in 1551 the city passed to the Ottoman Empire. In the 18th century the Karamanli dynasty ruled it with little control from Istanbul and built mosques and markets in the old town. Italy ruled Libya from the early 20th century and built a new city of boulevards and arcades outside the walls. Tripoli became a capital of the independent Kingdom of Libya in 1951.

The Port of Tripoli handles imports of food, cars and building materials and has a fishing harbor beside it. The souks of the old town sell copper pots, gold jewelry, leather slippers and woven cloth. Olive oil, dates and citrus from the Jafara plain around the city are sold in its markets.

The Red Castle, a fortress by the sea, holds the national museum with Roman statues and mosaics. The Medina, the walled old town, keeps its narrow lanes, covered markets and old caravanserais. Bazin, a dough of barley flour served with a tomato and lamb stew, is a dish of Libyan homes across the city. The Gurgi Mosque, built in the 19th century, has tiles from Tunisia, carved stone from Italy and a tall octagonal minaret.