Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Tripoli

Tripoli
طرابلس Trābles
Top: That El Emad Towers, Middle: Green Square,Bottom left: Marcus Aurelius Arch, Bottom right:Souq al-Mushir – Tripoli Medina.
Seal


Tripoli is located in Libya
Tripoli
Location of Tripoli in Libya
Coordinates: 32°54′8″N 13°11′9″E
Country
Libya
Sha'biyah
Tripoli Sha'biyah
Government
 - Head of the People's Committee
Abdullatif Abdulrahman Aldaali
Area
 - Total
400 km2 (154.4 sq mi)
Elevation
81 m (266 ft)
Population (2006)
 - Total
1,065,405
 - Density
4,205/km2 (10,890.9/sq mi)
Time zone
EET (UTC+2)
 - Summer (DST)
not observed (UTC+2)

Tripoli (Arabic: طرابلس‎ Ṭarābulus pronunciation (help·info)- also طرابلس الغرب Ṭarābulus al-Gharb Libyan vernacular: Ṭrābləs pronunciation (help·info); derived from "Τρίπολη"; the Greek word for "three cities" in Greek: Τρίπολις Tripolis) is the largest city and capital of Libya.
The Tripoli metropolitan area (district area) has a population of 1,065,405 (2006 census). 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.
Tripoli is the largest city, the principal sea port, and the largest commercial and manufacturing center in Libya. It is also the site of Al-Fateh University. 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 the shabiyah (top-level administrative division in the current Libyan system), Tripoli District.

History

The city was founded in the 7th century BC, by the Phoenicians, who gave it the Libyco-Berber name Oea (or Wy't), suggesting that the city may have been built upon an existing native town. The Phoenicians were probably attracted to the site by its fine natural harbor, flanked on the western shore by the small, easily defensible peninsula, on which they established their colony. 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). It was wrested away from the Greeks by the Carthaginians, like Tripoli, another Phoenician colony.
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. 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. It was probably raised to the rank of a separate province by Septimius Severus, who was a native of Leptis Magna.
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. The fact that Tripoli has been continuously inhabited, unlike e.g. 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 un-excavated.
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.
According to al-Baladhuri, Tripoli was, unlike Western North Africa, taken by the Muslims very early after Alexandria, in the 22nd year of the Hijra, that is between 30 November 642 and 18 November 643. Following the conquest, Tripoli was ruled by dynasties based in Cairo, Egypt (first the Fatimids, and later the Mamluks). For some time it was a part of the Berber Almohads and Hafsids. It was part of the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 19th century.

16th-19th centuries
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. Finding themselves in very hostile territory, the Knights enhanced the city’s walls and other defenses. 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 Castle") 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 as it had been prior to the Spanish occupation. The disruption the pirates caused to the Christian shipping lanes in the Mediterranean had been one of the main incentives for the Spanish conquest of the city.

The knights kept the city with some trouble until 1551, when they were compelled to surrender to the Ottomans, led by Muslim Turk Turgut Reis. Turgut Reis served as pasha of Tripoli, during his rule he adorned and built up the city, making it one of the most impressive cities along the North African Coast.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. 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.
After the capture by the Ottoman Turks, Tripoli once again became a base of operation for Barbary pirates. One of several Western attempts to dislodge them again was a Royal Navy attack under John Narborough in 1675, of which a vivid eye-witness account has survived. Effective Ottoman rule during this period (1551–1711) was often hampered by the local Janissary corps. Intended to function as enforcers of local administration, the captain of the Janissaries and his cronies were often the defacto 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. By 1714 he had asserted a sort of semi-independence from the Ottoman Sultan, heralding in the Karamanli dynasty. 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. 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.

The Barbary Wars
 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. 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 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. In 1803, Tripolitan fighters captured the US frigate Philadelphia and took its commander, Captain William Bainbridge, and the entire crew as prisoners. This was after the Philadelphia was run aground when the captain tried to navigate too close to the port of Tripoli. After several hours aground and Tripolitan gun boats firing upon the Philadelphia, though none ever struck the Philadelphia, Captain Bainbridge made the decision to surrender. The Philadelphia was later turned against the Americans and anchored in Tripoli Harbor as a gun battery while her officers and crew were held prisoners in Tripoli. The following year, US Navy Lieutenant Stephen Decatur led a successful nighttime raid to retake and burn the ship. 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. Eaton, at the head of a 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. Soon afterward, on June 3, 1805, peace was concluded. 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. See Second Barbary War.

Contemporary era
Tripoli Cathedral and the former FIAT center (Meydan al Gaza'ir) during the 1960s.
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. Rebellions in 1842 and 1844 were unsuccessful. After the occupation of Tunisia by the French (1881), the Ottomans increased their garrison in Tripoli considerably.
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. On October 1, 1911, a naval battle was fought at Prevesa, Greece, and three Ottoman vessels were destroyed. By the Treaty of Lausanne, Italian sovereignty was acknowledged by the Ottomans, although the Caliph was permitted to exercise religious authority.
Tripoli was controlled by Italy until 1943. Afterward, it was governed by British forces until independence in 1951.
On 15 April 1986, U.S. President Ronald Reagan ordered major bombing raids, dubbed Operation El Dorado Canyon, against Tripoli and Benghazi, killing 45 Libyan military and government personnel as well as 15 civilians. This strike followed US interception of telex messages from Libya's East Berlin embassy suggesting the involvement of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi in a bomb explosion on 5 April in West Berlin's La Belle discotheque, a nightclub frequented by US servicemen. Among the alleged fatalities of the 15 April retaliatory attack by the United States was Gaddafi's adopted daughter, Hannah.
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.

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 (district). 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. In reality, the revolutionary committees severely limit the democratic process by closely supervising committee and congress elections at the branch and district levels of governments, Tripoli being no exception.
Tripoli is sometimes referred to as "the de-jure capital of Libya" due ot the fact that 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 rather then in Tripoli. As part of a radical decentralization program undertaken in September 1988, all General People's Committee secretariats (ministries), except those responsible for foreign liaison (foreign affairs) and information, were moved outside of Tripoli. 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. In early 1993 it was announced that the Secretariat for Foreign Liaison and International Co-operation was to be moved to Ras Lanouf.

Geography and climate


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 center 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 kilometers 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 kilometres (190 mi).
Until 2007, the "Sha'biyah" included the City, its suburbs and their immediate surroundings. 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.
As a sha'biyah, Tripoli borders the following sha'biyat:
Al Murgub – east
Al Jabal al Gharbi – south
Al Jfara – southwest
Az Zawiyah – west
The dominant climatic influences in Tripoli, a coastal lowland city, are Mediterranean. The city enjoys warm summers and mild winters with an average July temperature of between 22 °C (72 °F) and 29 °C (84 °F). 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.
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. 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. 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. The Green Square located near the waterfront is scattered with palm trees, the most abundant plant used for landscaping in the city. Tripoli zoo, located south of the city center, is a large reserve of plants, trees and open green spaces and is the country's biggest zoo.

[hide]Climate data for Tripoli, 1961-1990
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
17.9
(64.2)
19.1
(66.4)
20.7
(69.3)
23.7
(74.7)
27.1
(80.8)
30.4
(86.7)
31.7
(89.1)
32.6
(90.7)
31.0
(87.8)
27.7
(81.9)
23.3
(73.9)
19.3
(66.7)
25.4
(77.7)
Average low °C (°F)
8.9
(48)
9.5
(49.1)
11.2
(52.2)
13.7
(56.7)
16.7
(62.1)
20.1
(68.2)
21.7
(71.1)
22.7
(72.9)
21.4
(70.5)
18.0
(64.4)
13.4
(56.1)
9.9
(49.8)
15.6
(60.1)
Precipitation mm (inches)
62.1
(2.445)
32.2
(1.268)
29.6
(1.165)
14.3
(0.563)
4.6
(0.181)
1.3
(0.051)
0.7
(0.028)
0.1
(0.004)
16.7
(0.657)
46.6
(1.835)
58.2
(2.291)
67.5
(2.657)
333.9
(13.146)
Source: WMO 

Economy
Panorama of Tripoli Central Business District as of June 2009; Tripoli is currently undergoing a construction boom.
The That El-Emad Towers, where many Libyan and International companies have offices.
Tripoli is one of the main hubs of Libya's economy along with Misurata. It is the leading center of banking, finance and communication in the country and is one of the leading commercial and manufacturing cities in Libya. Many of the country's largest corporations locate their headquarters 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. 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.
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 organized annually and takes place from the 2nd to the 12th of April. Participation averages around 30 countries as well as more than 2000 companies and organizations.
Since the rise in tourism and influx of foreign , 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 high end hotels in Tripoli include the Al Waddan Intercontinental and the Tripoli Radisson Blu Hotel as well as others.
Companies with head offices in Tripoli include Afriqiyah Airways and Libyan Airlines. Buraq Air has its head office on the grounds of Mitiga International Airport.

Main sights

Emhemmed Elmgharief Street in central Tripoli has some of the best examples of Italianate colonial architecture in Tripoli.
The city's old town, the Medina, is still unspoiled 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 ambiance. The Assaraya al-Hamra (Red Castle Museum), 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 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. More and more palaces (especially from the Karamanli period) are also being restored and opened to the public. 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. In the 8th century a wall on the sea-facing side of the city was added.
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 jewelery and clothes can be found in the local markets.

Colleges and universities

The largest university in Tripoli, Al Fateh University, is a public university providing free education to the city's inhabitants. Private universities and colleges have also begun to crop up in the last few years.
Universities in Tripoli include:
Al Fateh University – The largest 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).
The Open University
Tripoli University
Informatics Tripoli

Sports
11 June Stadium is the home stadium of both Al Ahly and Al Ittihad, and was the venue of the 1982 African Cup of Nations Final.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the Libyan capital. Tripoli is home of the most prominent soccer clubs in Libya, Al Madina, Al Ahly (Tripoli) and Al Ittihad.

Other sports clubs based in Tripoli:
Al Wahda and Addahra
The city also played host to the Italian Super Cup in 2002, a match in which Juventus (Italian Serie A champion holder) defeated Parma F.C. (Coppa Italia holder) 2–1.

Sister cities

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

Transport


(source:wikipedia)
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