The Tripoli International Fair

Of a completely different, and almost futuristic character, the extraordinary buildings of Tripoli (Rachid Karame) International Fair were designed by the world famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemayer in 1960. It is the fifth among the largest exhibition centers in the world in terms of dimensions and variety of constructions. Since its reactivation in 1995, the TIF hosted many international fairs as well as international cultural activities. This in turn made the city an important business pole. It is located in the southwest of Tripoli on an area of 1,000,000 meters square. The complex contains a large theater and many show rooms suitable for hosting large international level exhibitions and fairs. These can be briefly cited as follows:

• The exhibition center auditorium and its area is 45,000 m2 and it is suitable for organizing international exhibitions.
• An uncovered theater floating on an artificial lake with a capacity of 1180 persons. The entrance of the theater is a bridge passing over the lake and on top of which exists an arch of extreme height made of metallic concrete.
• A hotel of 120 rooms with a restaurant, cafeteria, swimming pool, tennis playground, and a night club.
• A business center, supplied with most of the technologies, translation service, secretary, conference and seminar rooms.
• A small garden including all fruitful and unfruitfuul trees, planned to be an educational center for environment and agriculture students.
• Wide gardens including lightened corridors.
• A fire emergency center.
• A restaurant and terrace (544 m2) constructed above a 33-meters high water tower-reservoir. The restaurant overlooks a panoramic view including the exhibition center, Tripoli city, and the nearby mountains.
• The Chamber of Lebanese Construction with lightened arches (1925 m2).
• A space museum and a telescope.
• The grand lecture room with a capacity of 1200 persons.
• The cavaliers' school.
• Administrative offices and those for employees.
• A room for ceremonies and grand balls.
• A landing area for chopers (helicopters).

The Rashid Karameh International Exhibition Center can be reached from Beirut via the coastal line highway ending at the western entrance of Tripoli city. Another road leads to the center through the southern entrance of the city, that is next to the Saraya area.

A view in the Ma'arad.

The Center at Night.

A view in the Ma'arad.