Present

• ElMina

The harbour - ElMina - three kilometers away, hosted what was apparently at one time a Phoenician town of which nothing now remains. ElMina is also known as the "City of Waves and Horizons".

• Families

A comprehensive repository of Tripolitan families and expatriates.

• Handicrafts

Tripoli has long been known for its sweets industry, olive oil-based soap production, and copper crafts.

• Index Tripolis

A project to provide bibliographic information about Tripoli, Lebanon.

• Kazdoura

A wander around inside Tripoli, Lebanon: A diary of humouristic series of walkabouts "kazdouras".

• Links

Useful links and telephone numbers in Tripoli, Lebanon.

• Maps

Terrain, street, satellite, touristic, urban growth, sailing, and historical maps and aerial imagery of Tripoli, Lebanon.

• News

Daily and weekly news from Tripoli, Lebanon.

• North Lebanon

A guide for towns and villages neighbouring Tripoli, Lebanon.

• Palm Islands

The Palm Islands Park is a unique and integrated natural marine basin in the eastern Mediterranean that was declared as a reserve in 1994.

• Panoramic Views

Interactive panoramic views of Tripoli, Lebanon.

• TeDS

The 'Tripoli e-Discussion Society' is an independently self-controlled body that aims at gathering Tripolitans residing all over the world to discuss issues pertaining to Tripoli, Lebanon.

• Today's Tripoli

Various present aspects of Tripoli, Lebanon

• Tripoli Radio

An Internet Radio that features original on-demand programs about various aspects of Tripoli, Lebanon.

• Tripoli TV

An Internet TV that brings you original on-demand films about various aspects of Tripoli, Lebanon.

Past

• History

A quick reference about Tripoli in the Prehistorical, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusade, Mameluke, and Ottoman periods.

• Monuments

The wealth of historical monuments make Tripoli the second largest preserved Mameluke city in the world.

• The Tripoli Quiz

An educational game to test your knowledge about Tripoli, Lebanon.

• Tourist Guide

A comprehensive tourist guide for sightseeing in Tripoli, Lebanon.

• Virtual Museum

A documented history of Tripoli from the 3rd to the 20th centuries with large collections of coins, garments, manuscripts, paintings, old photographs, and many other artifacts.

Languages

• Français

Bienvenue à Tripoli, Liban

• عربي

أهلاً بكم في طرابلس لبنان

• Ramadhan / رمضان

The Holy Month of Ramadhan in Tripoli / شهر رمضان المبارك في طرابلس

• عائلات

العائلات الطرابلسية

Information presented in The Tripoli Internet Database/tripoli-city.org web site is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized public reproduction or distribution of material contained in The Tripoli Internet Database/tripoli-city.org web site, or any portion of it, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under the law.

Please send your comments, suggestions, or contributions to: Dr. Ghazi Omar Tadmouri.

And we are going to "Al Ma'rad" today, is this correct? Well, we are going quite early for our walkabout this morning so how about some very energetic breakfast since we have a quite a walk waiting ahead of us? Very well, smashing idea, where shall we go? Well we don't want "Mankousheh" today since we had it last time. OK, how about "Sfeeha-b-Jibneh" or may be "Hommos-wa-Foul" or "Teseekyeh" it is very good like "Sabbet Batoon" (concrete slab)? But no, since "Al-D*n*o*n" (A very famous "Mehmasly") is not nearby, and since we are in the heart of Tripoli we will have the most reputable morning breakfast which is without a doubt "Ka'keh Bee-Knafeh". We may pop in at the 2nd branch of "R*f*a* A*-*a*l*b W*-*w*a*o*" just a few yards ahead, or perhaps go to "A*d*l* *a*m*n A*-*a*l*b W*-*w*a*o*" a few yards walk further down the road for the tasty "Ka'keh Bee-Knafeh". Now that's what we call good quality food, "Al-Hamdou-lellah" that was very filling. Now since the tank is full we will go towards "Al-Ma'rad", shall we? To start with, "Al-Ma'rad" is Tripoli International Exhibition Centre (it's also called Rasheed Karameh Exhibition Centre). I think they started building it in the sixties, but it was never finished. We are not going to delve into the tiny details but until recently some extensive work has been carried out and here we are it's now almost complete. It's entirely different to what it used to be having got a new promising figure. It's the state-of-the-art of one of the most famous architects in the world, Mr Oscar Niameyor (Brazilian national). It mainly comprises of a hotel, large halls hosting fairs and international exhibitions, theatres, restaurants, museums, and beautiful gardens. There is also an open theatre with no roof floating on an artificial lake which can accommodate an audience of a capacity of around 1200. Now I know that we came to "Al Ma'rad" through the southern entrance of the city next to "Al-Saraya" but you can still reach it from Beirut's coastal line at the western entrance of the city (a fairly new motorway finished few years ago). Before this centre was complete you would see people jogging, running or walking around it. Others are learning how to drive and kids are playing football and all sorts of games.

Now we proceed to enter "Al-Meena". It's some walk but we can always take a little rest at the park near "Borj Al-Central" (Telecommunication Tower). My God. Doesn't time runs fast when you're enjoying yourself? Anyway, shall we continue our walk to "Shareh Port Saeed" or shall we find elsewhere to sit down and have a cup of coffee or tea before dinner time since it's getting dark already. Great Idea.

Tomorrow we will go to "Shareh Port- Saeed" and if we have time we will pass by "Mar Elias" in Al-Meena.

This is a copyrighted material, copying this material will generate a report to: tadmouri@boun.edu.tr!

So where were we going yesterday before we stopped for a coffee? Oh yes, we were going to "Shareh Port-Saeed" and "Mar Elias" and if we still have time we will take a look inside the "port" (Tripoli main harbour) which most old "Traboulsiyyin" call it "boor". Here we are today continuing our "Kazdoura" (walkabout). We have some stories to tell here especially when talking about "Ras Al-Sakhar", "Jouret Al-Abed", "Hemmam el-Makloub" and "Al-Kaskhaneh" (old names for old Beaches) etc.. Let's start from the end of "Tareek Al-Meena" coming from Tripoli to "Al-Mina" and what a "Kazdoura"! It's a summery day especially on a Sunday afternoon, you can walk in "Tareek Al-Meena" (Meena Street) and see it full of cars packed with youngsters and their families going to Al-Meena for a night out to enjoy the sight of sunset in the sea and to eat "Boza" (Ice Cream) at "I*h*I*h" (a famous Arabic Ice cream maker) by the seaside. This particular street looks like a massive car park packed with cars running at speed of 10 -15 km/h and perhaps most wanderers would reach the end of street at a lesser time. You can see those wanderers "Yekazdrou" (wandering) on both sides of the street mainly on "Raseef" (pavement) hanging to each others by crossing arms as if one is going to run away from the other!! I do not mean here only males crossing arms with females but also one of a kind i.e. males together or even females together!! This might sound or look quite unfamiliar or even "twisted" to a westerner but in Tripoli is quite normal. One would see these wanderers talking to each other with high voices spreading and rising their hands very expressively and also smoking cigarettes. You would see how one would stop in the middle of the pavement or even in the street while talking to their friends lifting one of his legs reaching the elastic part of their socks to dispense a packet of M*r*b*r* to light a cigarette and believe me this is a very common sight.

Now you get to the start of "Shareh Boor Saeed" (Port-Saeed street) which looks along your eye sight like a concrete jungle packed and pickled with high rise residential buildings with people overlooking the street from their "viranda" (balconies) eating nuts or what have you such as "Bizr Batikh" (toasted water melon seeds) and unfortunately, some of these people throw the peels on the street (now I know I shouldn't mention this) but this is again quite normal to some people!! Somewhere before we reach the end of the street you can branch off to have a nice cup of Arabic coffee or even "argileh" (hubble-bubble pipe) in one of the street's "Kahwee" (Cafes or Cafee de trottoire). You may even divert to "Mataam A*-*I*s" (restaurant) to have a lovely "Asha" (dinner) by the sea with the family mainly a traditional Lebanese dinner to include "Maza" (starters) "lahmeh meshouieh" (Barbecued lam) etc. I'm feeling hungry already, aren't you? Or perhaps if you have a fat pocket you may drop in "A*s*a*e*e *l*F*d*e*" (The silver beach) which is again a nice local hotel and holiday resort (well used to be) to have something to eat. Actually during winter time the management staff of "A*s*a*e*e *l*F*d*e*" turn it into a reception restaurant for special occasions (weddings and so on) and celebrations "Azimeh" especially during "Eids" and "Ramadan" where most famous political and religious personalities are invited either to raise money for charities or else. And I mean else!!!

We almost now reached the end of "Shareh Boor Saeed" and perhaps we went a little bit further down the road. Let's do a small ‘U' turn to get back to "Mar-Elias" (St Elias). Now we reach "Mar-Elias". This particular neighbourhood (if you like) is quite famous in Tripoli. It's most famous for its high school and local church (St-Elias). In this particular famous landmark most neighbouring Christians come for the Sunday service and although I've never been inside it nor I know the time of its construction but certainly it's a famous one. What I know that there is Mr "Dimitri Koutieh" who is an organist in this church and a great singer with a very powerful and loud voice who leads the service carol by playing the organ and singing especially during X-Mas and Easter festivals. Behind the end of this neighbourhood you can get to the seaside where you can reach "Ras-Al-Sakhar" (Head of sea rock) and "Himmam Al-Makloub" (non-translatable but literally the reversible bath). "Ras Al-Sakhar" in particular used to be in the old days, and may be is still, the "San Balash" (Free Beach) of a lot of people in Tripoli. People used to come to swim and sunbathe and have "sayran" (picnic) by the so-called beach. Until these days you can still see people coming to "Ras Al-Sakhar" to swim and fish. If you carry on through there are also other churches available for the locals to come and pray particularly in "Haret-Al-Nasara" (Christians neighbourhood), from where you can get through to "Souk Al-Samak" (Fish market; about few minutes walk). This is where we are starting our "Kazdoura" tomorrow. I'm afraid we don't have time to go to the harbour today may be tomorrow.

This is a copyrighted material, copying this material will generate a report to: tadmouri@boun.edu.tr!