Tripoli, the white pride of the Mediterranean Sea, still
enjoys being the cradle of the best of the old cities in the
Arab World. The inhabitants here are very friendly and welcoming
to visitors. The modern metropolitan parts of the city reflect
the level of economic and cultural prosperity of the city
in recent years including modern hotels, fine restaurants
and shopping centers.
The old name of Tripoli is “Oea” and the word Tripoli
means “three cities” (Oea, Sabrata and Leptis Magna).
The remains of old Oea can be visited in the Old City near the
sea where the triumphal Arch of Marcus Aurelius is situated.
Part of modern Tripoli
has impressive Italian architecture. The Turkish and Italian
colonial period here left a distinctive mark on the city’s
structural design. This is best seen in the Old City and in
modern Tripoli. Al-Saraya Al-Hamra (the Red Castle) is the most
impressive old building and is located in the center of Tripoli.
It houses the Saraya museum with some of the most important
collections of mosaics, statues, artifacts and pre-historical
drawings and make up one of the finest collections of its kind
in the Mediterranean region.
The Old City (Al-Medina Al-Qadeema) provides a very exciting
and authentic environment that few tourists can find anywhere.
It contains many historic mosques, inns (Funduk), hammams (Turkish
baths), etc…
