Tripoli طرابلس
Tripoli Castle and the Green Square
Seal
Location of Tripoli within Libya, on the continent of Africa. The Coat of arms of Tripoli is the official seal of Libya 's capital Tripoli.
Country	Libya
Sha'biyah	Tripoli Sha'biyah
Government
- Head of the People's Committee	Abdullatif Abdulrahman Aldaali
Area
- Total	400 km² (154. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab There are thirty-four municipalities of Libya, known by the Arabic term sha'biyat (singular Sha'biyah) Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 4 sq mi)
Elevation	81 m (266 ft)
Population (2004)
- Total	1,682,000
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+2)

Tripoli (Arabic: طرابلس Ṭarābulus - also طرابلس الغرب Ṭarā-bu-lus al-Gharb^[1] Libyan vernacular: Ṭrābləs derived from the for three cities Greek: Τρίπολη, Turkish: Trablus) is the largest and capital city of Libya. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Daylight saving time ( DST UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Libyan Arabic (Lībi ليبي also known as Sulaimitian Arabic) is a collective term for the closely related Varieties of Arabic spoken in Libya. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab

Tripoli has a population of 1. 69 million. The city is located in the northwest of the country on the edge of the desert, on a point of rocky land projecting into the Mediterranean Sea and forming a bay. Tripoli was founded in the 7th century BC by the Phoenicians, who named it Oea. Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun ^[2]

Tripoli is the largest city, the principal sea port, and the largest commercial and manufacturing centre in Libya. It is also the site of Al-Fateh University. The University of Libya is the former name of the merger of the two main universities in Libya. Due to the city's long history, there are many sites of archaeological significance in Tripoli. The climate is typical Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers, cool winters and some modest rainfall.

"Tripoli" may also refer to a "Sha'biyah" (top-level administrative division in the current Libyan system). Shabiyah ( شعبية) (plural Shabiyat شعبيات is an Administrative division of Libya.

History

Early history

The city was founded in the 7th century BC, by the Phoenicians, who named it "Oea". Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun They were probably attracted to the site by its fine natural harbor, flanked on the western shore by the small, easily defendable peninsula, on which they established their colony. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. The city then passed into the hands of the rulers of Cyrenaica (a Greek colony on the North African shore, east of Tripoli, halfway to Egypt). The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. It was wrested away from the Greeks by the Carthaginians, like Tripoli, another Phoenician colony. Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers

By the later half of the 2nd century BC it belonged to the Romans, who included it in their province of Africa, and gave it the name of Regio Syrtica. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Roman province of Africa was established after the Romans defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War. Around the beginning of the 3rd century AD, it became known as the Regio Tripolitana, meaning "region of the three cities", namely Oea (i. e. modern Tripoli), Sabratha and Leptis Magna. Sabratha in the Zawia district in the northwestern corner of modern Libya, was the westernmost of the "three cities" of Tripolis. Leptis Magna,(لبدة also known as Lectis Magna (or Lepcis Magna as it is sometimes spelled also called Lpqy or Neapolis, was a prominent city It was probably raised to the rank of a separate province by Septimius Severus, who was a native of Leptis Magna. Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) ( April 11 145 - February 4 211) was a Roman general and Roman Emperor

In spite of centuries of Roman habitation, the only visible Roman remains, apart from scattered columns and capitals (usually integrated in later buildings), is the Arch of Marcus Aurelius from the 2nd century AD. A column in Structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural In several traditions of Architecture including Classical architecture, the capital (from the Latin caput 'head' forms the crowning member Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise" ( April 26, 121 – March 17, 180) was Roman Emperor The fact that Tripoli has been continuously inhabited, unlike f. x. Sabratha and Leptis Magna, has meant that the inhabitants have either quarried material from older buildings (destroying them in the process), or built on top of them, burying them beneath the streets, where they remain largely unexcavated.

There is evidence to suggest that the Tripolitania region was in some economic decline during the 5th and 6th centuries, in part due to the political unrest spreading across the Mediterranean world in the wake of the collapse of the Roman empire, as well as pressure from the invading Vandals.

Like the rest of North Africa, it was conquered by the Muslims early in the 8th century. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Following the conquest, Tripoli was ruled by dynasties based in Cairo, Egypt, first the Fatimids, and later the Mamluks. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics.

1500s-1800s

In 1510, it was taken by Don Pedro Navarro, Count of Oliveto for Spain, and, in 1523, it was assigned to the Knights of St. John, who had lately been expelled by the Ottoman Turks from their stronghold on the island of Rhodes. Don Pedro Navarro Count of Oliveto ( Garde, Navarre, c 1460 – Castel Nuovo, Naples, 1528 was a Spanish engineer Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St The Ottoman Turks were the subdivision of the Ottoman Muslim Millet that dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. Rhodes (Ρόδος Ródos, ˈɾo̞ðo̞s Rodi ردوس Rodos; Ladino: Rodi or Rodes) is a Greek island Finding themselves in very hostile territory, the Knights enhanced the city’s walls and other defences. Though built on top of a number of older buildings (possibly including a Roman public bath), much of the earliest defensive structures of the Tripoli castle (or "Assaraya al-Hamra", i. e. the "Red Castel") are attributed to the Knights of St John.

Having previously combated piracy from their base on Rhodes, the reason that the Knights were given charge of the city, was to prevent it from relapsing into the nest of Barbary pirates it had been prior to the Spanish occupation. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering The Barbary pirates, also sometimes called Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim Pirates and Privateers that operated from North Africa, from The disruption the pirates caused to the Christian shipping lanes in the Mediterranean had been one of the main incentives for the Spanish overtake of the city.

The knights kept the city with some trouble until 1551, when they were compelled to surrender to the Ottoman Turks, led by Turgut Reis. Turgut Reis ( 1485 - June 23, 1565) was a Turkish Privateer and Ottoman Admiral as well as Bey of Turgut was also buried in Tripoli after his death in 1565. His body was taken from Malta, where he had fallen during the Ottoman siege of the island, to a tomb in the mosque he had established close to his palace in Tripoli. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger The palace has since disappeared (supposedly it was situated between the so called “Ottoman prison” and the arch of Marcus Aurelius), but the mosque, along with his tomb, still stands, close to the Bab Al-Bahr gate. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise" ( April 26, 121 – March 17, 180) was Roman Emperor

After the capture by the Ottoman Turks, Tripoli once again became a base of operation for Barbary pirates. Effective Ottoman rule during this period (1551- 1711) was often hampered by the local Janissary corps. The Janissaries (derived from Ottoman Turkish ينيچرى ( yeniçeri) meaning "new soldier" comprised Infantry units that formed Intended to function as enforcers of local administration, the captain of the Janissaries and his cronies were often the de facto rulers.

In 1711 Ahmed Karamanli, a Janissary officer of Turkish origin, killed the Ottoman governor, the "Pasha", and established himself as ruler of the Tripolitania region. Ahmed or Ahmad Karamanli or Qaramanli or al-Qaramanli, (most commonly Ahmed Karamanli) (1686-1745 was a Janissary who Pasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, (paşa پاشا ( Persian: پاشا ( Armenian: Փաշա was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire By 1714 he had asserted a sort of semi-independence from the Ottoman Sultan, heralding in the Karamanli dynasty. The Karamanli or Qaramanli or al-Qaramanli dynasty was a series of Pashas who ruled from 1711 to 1835 in Tripolitania ( Tripoli and The Pashas of Tripoli were expected to pay a regular tributary tax to the Sultan, but were in all other aspects rulers of an independent kingdom. This order of things continued under the rule of his descendants, accompanied by the brazen piracy and blackmailing until 1835, when the Ottoman Empire took advantage of an internal struggle and re-established its authority.

The Ottoman province (vilayet) of Tripoli (including the dependent sanjak of Cyrenaica) lay along the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea between Tunisia in the west and Egypt in the east. Sanjak and Sandjak (other variants sinjaq sanjaq) are the most common English transcriptions of the Turkish word sancak Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Besides the city itself, the area included Cyrenaica (the Barca plateau), the chain of oases in the Aujila depression, Fezzan and the oases of Ghadames and Ghat, separated by sandy and stony wastelands. In Geography, an oasis (plural oases) or Cienega ( Southwestern United States) is an isolated area of vegetation in a Desert, typically Libya 5210 Wan Caza Luca Galuzzi 2007jpg|thumb|Wan Caza dunes in Fezzan The oasis of GhadamesIs known to most people I guessIn Libya's vast landHalf-buried in sandIt survives and it thrives — more or less| Limerick by Charles Issawi| For the Indian mountains see Ghats. Ghat (غات is a city in the municipality of Ghat in remote south-western Libya

The Barbary Wars

Main article: Barbary States

Tripoli Harbour during the Tripolitan War

In the early part of the 19th century, the regency at Tripoli, owing to its piratical practices, was twice involved in war with the United States. The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to the middle and western coastal regions of North Africa—what Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering In May 1801, the pasha demanded an increase in the tribute ($83,000) which the US government had been paying since 1796 for the protection of their commerce from piracy under the 1796 Treaty with Tripoli. The Treaty of Tripoli usually refers to the first treaty concluded between the United States of America The demand was refused, and a naval force was sent from the United States to blockade Tripoli.

The First Barbary War dragged on for four years. The First Barbary War (1801&ndash1805 also known as the Barbary Coast War or the Tripolitan War, was the first of two wars fought between the United In 1803, Tripolitan fighters captured the US frigate Philadelphia and took its commander, Captain William Bainbridge, and the entire crew as prisoners. See also See USS ''Philadelphia'' for other Navy ships of the same name William Bainbridge ( May 7, 1774 &ndash July 28, 1833) was a Commodore in the United States Navy, notable for The Philadelphia was turned against the Americans and anchored in Tripoli Harbour as a gun battery. The following year, US Navy Lieutenant Stephen Decatur led a failed nighttime raid to retake the ship. Commodore Stephen Decatur Jr ( 5 January 1779 – 22 March 1820) was an American naval officer notable for his heroism Decatur's men set fire to the Philadelphia and escaped.

The most colorful incident in the war was the expedition undertaken by William Eaton with the object of replacing the pasha with an elder brother living in exile, who had promised to accede to all the wishes of the United States. William Eaton ( 23 February 1764 &ndash 1 June 1811) was a United States Army officer involved with the First Barbary War Eaton, at the head of a motley crew of 500 US Marines, Greek, Arab and Turkish Mercenaries, marched across the desert from Alexandria, Egypt and with the aid of American ships, succeeded in capturing Derna. Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Battle of Derne was a decisive victory of a mercenary army led by a detachment of United States Marines over the forces of the Barbary coast nation of Tripoli Soon afterward, on June 3, 1805, peace was concluded. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or The pasha ended his demands and received $60,000 as ransom for the Philadelphia prisoners under the 1805 Treaty with Tripoli.

In 1815, in consequence of further outrages and due to the humiliation of the earlier defeat, Captains Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur, at the head of an American squadron, again visited Tripoli and forced the pasha to comply with the demands of the United States. Commodore Stephen Decatur Jr ( 5 January 1779 – 22 March 1820) was an American naval officer notable for his heroism See Second Barbary War. The Second Barbary War (1815 also known as the Algerine or Algerian War) was the second of two wars fought between the United States of America

Later history

In 1835, the Ottomans took advantage of a local civil war to reassert their direct authority. After that date, Tripoli was under the direct control of the Sublime Porte. Ottoman Porte (also Sublime Porte, High Porte, or in Ottoman Turkish, Bab-ı Ali) used to refer to the Divan (court Rebellions in 1842 and 1844 were unsuccessful. After the occupation of Tunisia by the French (1881), the Ottomans increased their garrison in Tripoli considerably. Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Italy had long claimed that Tripoli fell within its zone of influence and that Italy had the right to preserve order within the state. Under the pretext of protecting its own citizens living in Tripoli from the Ottoman Government, it declared war against the Ottomans on September 29, 1911, and announced its intention of annexing Tripoli. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year On October 1, 1911, a naval battle was fought at Prevesa, Greece, and three Ottoman vessels were destroyed. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Preveza (Πρέβεζα is a town in northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. By the Treaty of Lausanne, Italian sovereignty was acknowledged by the Ottomans, although the Caliph was permitted to exercise religious authority. The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War (also known in Italy as guerra di Libia, "the Libyan war" and in Turkey as Trablusgarp Savaşı) was fought The Caliph is the Head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah

The Italians were faced by fierce resistance from Libyan mujahedeen despite the vast unbalance in equipment, arms, logistics and organisation in favor of Italian occupiers.

Libyan mujahedeen were lead by Ramadan & Ahmed Swehli (from Misrata), Baroni & Kabar (Gharian), Mrayed & Muntasser (Tarhuna) to name a few.

Italians lost many battles in guerilla style warfare and could only control few posts at a time

Eventually resistance erupted in east Libya and was lead by Omar Mukhtar who was later arrested , trialed by summary court martial and executed

Italy never controlled Libya except for few short periods and places assisted by some mercenary local cooperators

Italy later appologised for the occupation and is paying compensation to the Libyan people.

Tripoli was sort-of controlled by Italy until 1943. After that, by end of WWII it was governed by British forces until independence in 1951. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

On 15 April 1986 US Airforce and Navy planes bombed Tripoli and Benghazi. Benghazi or Bengasi ( Arabic بنغازي, transliterated Banġāzī,) is the second largest city in Libya and the President Ronald Reagan justified the attacks by claiming Libya was responsible for terrorism directed at the USA, including the bombing of La Belle discotheque in West Berlin ten days before.

United Nations sanctions against Libya were lifted in 2003, which is expected to increase traffic through the Port of Tripoli and have a positive impact on the city's economy. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security

Law and government

The old medina in Central Tripoli; There are 29 Local People's Congresses within the city boundaries.

The city of Tripoli and its surrounding suburbs all lie within the Tripoli sha'biyah (municipality). Shabiyah ( شعبية) (plural Shabiyat شعبيات is an Administrative division of Libya. In accordance with Libya's Jamahiriya political system, Tripoli comprises Local People's Congresses where, in theory, the city's population discuss different matters and elect their own people's committee; At present there are 29 Local People's Congresses. Jamahiriya (Arabic جماهيرية strict transliteration) is an Arabic term generally translated as "state of the masses In reality, the revolutionary committees severely limit the democratic process by closely supervising committee and congress elections at the branch and municipal levels of governments, Tripoli being no exception. Tripoli is sometimes referred to as the de-facto capital of Libya. This is because none of the country's ministries are actually located in the capital. Even the National General People's Congress is held annually in the city of Surt and not the capital. Surt (or Sirte) ( Arabic: سرت) is one of the municipalities of Libya, which lies in the north of the country and borders the As part of a radical decentralisation programme undertaken in September 1988, all General People's Committee secretariats (ministries), except those responsible for foreign liaison (foreign affairs) and information, were located away from Tripoli. __FORCETOC__ Decentralization or Decentralisation (see Spelling differences) is the process of dispersing Decision-making governance closer to the people A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of Government Public administration, sometimes led by a minister, but usually a senior According to diplomatic sources, the former Secretariat for Economy and Trade was moved to Benghazi; the Secretariat for Health to Kufra; and the remainder, excepting one, to Surt, Col. Gaddafi's birthplace. Benghazi or Bengasi ( Arabic بنغازي, transliterated Banġāzī,) is the second largest city in Libya and the Kufra (also spelled Cufra or Khofra) is an Oasis in Southeastern Libya that played a minor role in the Western Desert Campaign of World Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi 1 (معمر القذافي) (born 7 June 1942) also known as Colonel Gaddafi In early 1993 it was announced that the Secretariat for Foreign Liaison and International Co-operation was to be moved to Ras Lanouf.

Geography

A dust storm, making its way from the Sahara to Western Libya, passes over Tripoli.

Al Saaha Alkhadhraa (The Green Square), located in the city centre is mostly landscaped with palm trees as is much of Tripoli.

Tripoli lies at the western extremity of Libya close to the Tunisian border, on the continent of Africa. Over a thousand kilometeres separate Tripoli from Libya's second largest city, Benghazi. Coastal oases alternate with sandy areas and lagoons along the shores of Tripolitania for more than 300 kilometers. In Geography, an oasis (plural oases) or Cienega ( Southwestern United States) is an isolated area of vegetation in a Desert, typically A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or Brackish water separated from the deeper Sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral Tripolitaniajpg|thumb|250px|Tripolitania]] Tripolitania or Tripolitana ( Arabic: طرابلس, Transliterated: Tarābulus) is a historic

The "Sha'biyah" includes the City, its suburbs and their immediate surroundings (City and "Sha'biyah" are almost coextensive). Shabiyah ( شعبية) (plural Shabiyat شعبيات is an Administrative division of Libya. In older administrative systems and throughout history, there existed a Province ("muhafazah"), State ("wilayah") or City-state with a much larger area (though not constant boundaries), which is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Tripoli but more appropriately should be called Tripolitania. The Arabic word muhafazah (محافظة muḥāfaẓä plural محافظات muhafazat) is usually translated to Governorate in English occasionally to A wilāyah (ولاية or vilâyet (in Persian and Ottoman Turkish) is an administrative division usually Tripolitaniajpg|thumb|250px|Tripolitania]] Tripolitania or Tripolitana ( Arabic: طرابلس, Transliterated: Tarābulus) is a historic

As a sha'biyah, Tripoli borders the following sha'biyat:

• Tajura Wa Al Nawahi AlArba' - east
• Tarhuna Wa Msalata - southeast
• Al Jfara - south
• Az Zawiyah - west

The dominant climatic influences in Tripoli, a coastal lowland city, are Mediterranean. Tajura Wa Al Nawahi AlArba' is one of the municipalities of Libya. Tarhuna Wa Msalata' is one of the municipalities of Libya. Tarhuna Wa Msalata borders the following municipalities Tajura Wa Al Nawahi AlArba' Al Jfara' is one of the municipalities of Libya. Al Jfara borders the following municipalities Tripoli - northeast Az Zawiyah Municipality ( Arabic: شعبية الزاوية transliterated: Sha'biyat az-Zawiyah is one of the municipalities in Libya. The city enjoys warm summers and mild winters with an average July temperature of between 22 °C (72 °F) and 29 °C (84 °F). The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 In December temperatures have reached as low as 1 °C (34 °F), but the average remains at between 9 °C (48 °F) and 18 °C (64 °F). The average annual rainfall is less than 400 millimetres (15. 7 in), but can be very erratic. ^[3]

For example, epic floods in 1945 left Tripoli under water for several days, but two years later an unprecedentedly severe drought caused the loss of thousands of head of cattle. A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply Deficiency in rainfall is no doubt reflected in an absence of permanent rivers or streams in Tripoli as well as an absence throughout the entire country. The allocation of limited water is considered of sufficient importance to warrant the existence of the Secretariat of Dams and Water Resources, and damaging a source of water can be penalized by a heavy fine or imprisonment.

The Great Manmade River, a network of pipelines that transport water from the desert to the coastal cities, supplies Tripoli with its water. Great Manmade River or Great Man-made River ( GMR, ar النهر الصناعي العظيم is a network of pipes that supplies Water from the ^[4] The grand scheme was initiated by Gaddafi in 1982 and has had a positive impact on the city's inhabitants.

Tripoli is dotted with public spaces, but few fit under the category of large city parks. A park is a protected area of Land and Water, usually in its natural or semi-natural (landscaped state and set aside for some purpose often to do with human The Green Square located near the waterfront is scattered with palm trees, the most abundant plant used for landscaping in the city. Arecaceae or Palmae (also known by the name Palmaceae, which is taxonomically invalid or commonly palm tree) the palm family is a family of Flowering Tripoli zoo, located south of the city centre, is a large reserve of plants, trees and open green spaces and is the country's biggest zoo.

Economy

The central business district.

Tripoli is Libya's economic hub. It is the leading centre of banking, finance and communication in the country as well as the leading commercial and manufacturing centre. A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" Commerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale Many of the country's largest corporations locate their headquarter's home offices in Tripoli as well as the majority of international companies.

Major manufactured goods include processed food, textiles, construction materials, clothing and tobacco products. Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw Ingredients into Food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. In the fields of Architecture and Civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the Building or assembling of Infrastructure Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Since the lifting of sanctions against Libya in 1999 and again in 2003, Tripoli has seen a rise in foreign investment as well as an increase in tourism. Increased traffic has also been recorded in the city's port as well as Libya's main international airport, Tripoli International. Tripoli International Airport ( Arabic مطار طرابلس العالمي serves Tripoli, Libya.

The city is home to the Tripoli International Fair, an international industrial, agricultural and commercial event located on Omar Muktar Street. One of the active members of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), located in the French capital Paris, the international fair is organised annually and takes place from the 2nd to the 12th of April. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Participation averages around 30 countries as well as more than 2000 companies and organisations.

Since the rise in tourism and influx of foreign businesspeople, there has been an increased demand for hotels in the city. To cater for these increased demands, the Corinthia Bab Africa hotel located in the central business district was constructed in 2003 and is the largest hotel in Libya. Other large hotels include the Bab El Bahr hotel and the Kabir Hotel as well as others.

Sites of interest

A converted mosque in Algeria Square; the restoration of structures built during Italian rule has become more prevalent since the city opened up to tourism.

The city's old town is still unspoilt by mass-tourism, though it is increasingly being exposed to more and more visitors from abroad, following the lifting of the UN embargo in 2003. However, the walled medina retains much of its serene old-world ambience.

The Assaraya al-Hamra (the Red Castle), a vast palace complex with numerous courtyards, dominates the city skyline and is located on the outskirts of the medina. There are some classical statues and fountains from the Ottoman period scattered around the castle. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish

The Gurgi and Karamanli mosques, with their intricate decorations and tilework, are examples of the artistic skills of local craftsmen. Just outside the Gurgi mosque is the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, the only surviving Roman monument in the city. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise" ( April 26, 121 – March 17, 180) was Roman Emperor More and more palaces (especially from the Karamanli period) are also being restored and opened to the public. The Karamanli or Qaramanli or al-Qaramanli dynasty was a series of Pashas who ruled from 1711 to 1835 in Tripolitania ( Tripoli and

The basic street plan of the medina was laid down in the Roman period when the walls were constructed as protection against attacks from the interior of Tripolitania, and are considered well planned, possibly better than modern street plans. Tripolitaniajpg|thumb|250px|Tripolitania]] Tripolitania or Tripolitana ( Arabic: طرابلس, Transliterated: Tarābulus) is a historic In the 8th century a wall on the sea-facing side of the city was added.

The Hotel Al Kabir (Grand Hotel).

Three gates provided access to the old town: Bab Zanata in the west, Bab Hawara in the southeast and Bab Al-Bahr in the north wall. The city walls are still standing and can be climbed for good views of the city. The Bazaar is also known for its traditional ware; fine jewellery and clothes can be found in the local markets. A bazaar ( بازار) (pazar is a permanent merchandising area Marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold

The Jamahiriya Museum, a fine modern facility located in the Red Castle, is Libya's national museum. Jamahiriya (Arabic جماهيرية strict transliteration) is an Arabic term generally translated as "state of the masses A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the It houses many artefacts from the country's Roman and Greek periods, including treasures from the World Heritage sites at Leptis Magna and Sabratha, as well as such curiosities as the Volkswagen Beetle car driven by Gadaffi in the 1960s. Leptis Magna,(لبدة also known as Lectis Magna (or Lepcis Magna as it is sometimes spelled also called Lpqy or Neapolis, was a prominent city Sabratha in the Zawia district in the northwestern corner of modern Libya, was the westernmost of the "three cities" of Tripolis. The Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the type 1 and originally called ‘Käfer’ is an Economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi 1 (معمر القذافي) (born 7 June 1942) also known as Colonel Gaddafi

Colleges and universities

The largest university in Tripoli, Al Fateh University, is a public university providing free education to the city's inhabitants. Al Fateh University (Arabic جامعة الفاتح is the largest and most important institute of higher education in Libya. Private universities and colleges have also begun to crop up in the last few years.

Universities in Tripoli include:

• Al Fateh University - The largest and most important university in Tripoli
• Al Fateh University for Medical Sciences - It includes the following faculties: Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and nursing (which was previously a small institute). Al Fateh University (Arabic جامعة الفاتح is the largest and most important institute of higher education in Libya.
• The Open University
• Tripoli University
• Informatics Tripoli
• Tripoli College

Sports

Football is the most popular sport in the Libyan capital. Open University is also the name of other institutions See Distance education or the Open Universities category for a list Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Tripoli is home to two of the most prominent football clubs in Libya, Al Ahly (Tripoli) and Al Ittihad. Al-Ahly Tripoli (الأهلي طرابلس is a Libyan football club based in Tripoli, Libya.

The main sports clubs based in Tripoli:

• Al Ahly (Tripoli)
• Al Ittihad
• Al Madina
• Al Shat
• Al Wahda

Sister cities

• Algiers, Algeria
• Beirut, Lebanon
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil (since 2003)
• Izmir, Turkey
• Madrid, Spain
• Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (since 1976)

Transport

Tripoli is the interim destination of a railway from Sirt under construction in 2007. Al-Ahly Tripoli (الأهلي طرابلس is a Libyan football club based in Tripoli, Libya. Al Ittihad of Libya ( الاتحاد الليبي) is a Libyan football club based in Bab Ben Geshier - Tripoli, Libya. Al Madina Tripoli is a Libyan football club based in Tripoli, Libya. Al Shat is a Libyan football club based in Tripoli, Libya. The club was founded in 1982. Al Wahda Tripoli is a Libyan football club based in Tripoli, Libya. Algiers (الجزائر Algerian Arabic: Dzayer ( (From kabyle pronunciation Kabyle: Ledzayer, Alger) is the Capital and largest Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Belo Horizonte ( Portuguese for "beautiful horizon", (bɛloɾiˈzõtʃi) is the capital of Minas Gerais state located in the |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld İzmir, historically Smyrna, is the third most populous city of Turkey and the country's largest port after İstanbul. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. TemplateInfobox City for more fields--> Sarajevo is the Capital city and largest urban center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Railways See also Libyan Railways Libya has had no Railway in operation since 1965, all previous Narrow gauge systems having Sirt, also Surt and Sirte ( Arabic: سرت) is a city in Libya, in the Surt Municipality seat of some important governmental institutions ^[6]

References and notes

• Includes text from Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921).

Further reading

• Nora Lafi, Une ville du Maghreb entre Ancien régime et réformes ottomanes. Nora Lafi is a French historian of Algerian origin born in 1965 in Istres, near Marseilles. Genèse des institutions municipales à Tripoli de Barbarie (1795-1911), Paris, L'Harmattan, 2002, 305 p. [1]
• London, Joshua E. Victory in Tripoli: How America's War with the Barbary Pirates Established the U.S. Navy and Shaped a NationNew Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , 2005. hey

See also

• Tripoli International Airport
• First Barbary War
• Second Barbary War
• Barbary treaties
• 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing

External links

• Tripoli travel guide from Wikitravel
• Google Maps showing "greater" Tripoli, roughly bounded by Tajura on the east, Janzur on the west, Bin Ghashir on the south. Tripoli International Airport ( Arabic مطار طرابلس العالمي serves Tripoli, Libya. The First Barbary War (1801&ndash1805 also known as the Barbary Coast War or the Tripolitan War, was the first of two wars fought between the United The Second Barbary War (1815 also known as the Algerine or Algerian War) was the second of two wars fought between the United States of America The Barbary Treaties refer to several treaties between the United States of America and the semi-autonomous North African city-states of Algiers, Tunis The Berlin discotheque bombing of April 5, 1986 was a terrorist attack on the La Belle discotheque West Berlin, Germany, that was Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. Tajoura ( Arabic: تاجوراء is a city in Libya, in the Tajura Wa Al Nawahi AlArba' Municipality (View at 1024x768 screen resolution or adjust the map to the described boundaries).
• Dynamic map of Tripoli on Encarta online.
• Tripoli at goruma (German). Machine translation by Freetranslation.com.