Tripoli
Tripoli (in Arabic طرابلس, Ṭarābulus) is the capital and the most populous city of Libya. It is also the seat of the central government and administration. It has a population of about 1,690,000 and is located in the northwest of the country, on the Mediterranean coast. Tripoli was founded in the VII century BCE. C. by the Phoenicians, who called it Oea. Later, with the arrival of the Romans, the city acquired the status of the most important Roman city on the African continent. Chronologically and historically, in addition to the native Berbers of the territory, there were Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Spanish, Turks and Italians. During the Italian colonial rule (1911 - 1941), the city was made the capital of the newly created state of Libya. The country achieved independence in 1951.
Tripoli's port is the country's main port and the city is its commercial and manufacturing center. Home to Al-Fateh University, Tripoli was one of the most modern, wealthiest and most livable cities in Africa before the 2011 war against Colonel Gaddafi.
Toponymy
In Spanish, the city is known as Trípoli, although it can also be referred to as Trípoli de Occidente, to differentiate it from the Lebanese city of the same name. In Arabic the name is طرابلس (Ṭarābulus), or also طرابلس الغرب (Ṭarābulus al-Garb).
Formerly it was known in Latin as Oea. Etymologically, the name derives from the Greek (Τρίπολη) Tri polis, three cities.
History
Foundation and Roman Empire
Tripoli was founded in the VII century BCE. C. by the Phoenicians, who called it Oea. Then it passed into the hands of the Barca, who would later become the leaders of the Carthage civilization. Once victorious in the Punic Wars, it was conquered by the Romans and made part of their province of Africa and named Regio Syrtica. In the early III century, it became known as Regio Tripolitana, meaning "region of the three cities", that is, Oea (modern Tripoli), Sabratha, and Leptis Magna. It was probably raised to the rank of province by Septimius Severus, who was a native of Leptis Magna.
Despite centuries of Roman rule, the only visible Roman remains are scattered columns and capitals, with only one well-preserved Roman building: the 18th-century arch of Marcus Aurelius II. The fact that Tripoli has been continuously inhabited, unlike Sabratha and Leptis Magna, has meant that the inhabitants have used the material from the ancient buildings, destroying these buildings in the process or incorporating on top of them, burying them under the streets, where they remain largely unexcavated. There is evidence to suggest that the Tripolitania region suffered economic decline during the V and VI, partly due to the spread of political unrest across the Mediterranean world following the fall of the Roman Empire, as well as pressure from invading Vandals.
Arab expansion and the establishment of Islam
Tripoli was eventually conquered by Muslim Arabs in the mid-VII century, in the first phase of their northern campaigns from Africa. Arab rule was established in the Tripolitan Region through the campaigns of the Arab general Amr ibn al-As and his lieutenant Uqba ibn Nafi around the years 642-644. After the conquest, various Arab tribes passed through the region and, for their part, the old Romanized or Berber populations became Islamized relatively quickly. In the first years after the conquest, the Arabs did not pay much attention to the Tripolitania region, which hardly has its own history in this period.
During the Middle Ages, Tripoli was ruled primarily as part of Ifriquiya, first by the Fihrids, descendants of the conqueror Uqba ibn Nafi al Fihri, and later by the Muhallabids (768 to 795).
Later, it was subjected to the Aghlabids, who exercised their power in Kairouan, from 801 to 909. After the Fatimid Shiite dynasty overthrew the Aghlabids and took control of Ifriquiya, ruling from Kairouan, Raqqada and Mahdia, Tripoli was left under his domain. The Fatimids moved their court to Egypt, founding Cairo in 972, and left the administration of the Ifriquiya region, including Tripoli, in the hands of their vassals, the Zirids, who returned the seat of government to Kairouan. But when the Zirids declared their independence from Cairo and their abandonment of Shiism to embrace Sunnism, the Fatimid caliph Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah sent the nomadic tribes of the Banu Hilal and Banu Sulaym against Ifriquiya, coming from Arabia, in 1050. The Banu Hilal invasion further ruined the Tripoli region.
The Ifriquiya aroused the interest of the great North African empire of the Almohads. In 1159-1160 the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mumin launched a campaign in which he seized Ifriquiya and reached Tripoli.
The Almohads appointed Abu-Muhammad Abd-al-Wahid ibn Abi-Hafs (known as Abd al-Wâhid ibn Hafs, or also Muhammad bin Abu Hafs), a Berber magnate from the important Moroccan confederation of Masmuda as governor of Ifriqiya. A descendant of this, Abu Zakariya Yahya, became independent in 1229, forming the Hafsid (or Hafsid) kingdom of Ifriquiya, which included present-day Tunisia, eastern Algeria, and western Libya, and had its capital in the city of Tunis. During the Hafsid period, the caravan trade developed across the Sahara; Tripoli became one of the centers of that trade. Likewise, the coastal cities of the Hafsid Caliphate, Tripoli among them, became ports of piracy against the ships of the Christian kingdoms in the Mediterranean.
Modern Age: brief Spanish rule and Ottoman Empire
In 1510, Tripoli was taken by the Castilians under the command of Pedro Navarro, Count of Oliveto, and remained under Spanish rule for two decades. In 1530 King Carlos I of Spain decided to cede it, along with Malta, to the Knights of Saint John, who had been expelled by the Ottoman Turks from their stronghold on the island of Rhodes. Carlos I's objective was twofold: to compensate this important Christian military order for the loss of Rhodes and to use his military experience against the Barbary pirates. The Order of Malta reinforced the city's fortifications and defended it against Ottoman expansion. But in August 1551 an expedition commanded by Sinan Pasha, accompanied by Admiral Turgut Reis (known as Dragut), surrounded the city and after six days of bombardment achieved its capitulation. Tripoli then became part of the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman regency of Tripoli stretched along the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, between Tunisia to the west and Egypt to the east. Apart from the city and Tripolitania, their territories included the Barka plateau (according to Turkish script; see: Barca (Libya)), that is, Cyrenaica, and to the south the oases of Fezán and Awjila, separated from each other. through deserts of sand and stone.
In 1714, Pasha Ahmed Karamanli assumed the title of bey and made an agreement with the Sultan of Constantinople to enjoy semi-independent status. This situation lasted until 1835, when the Ottoman Empire unleashed a civil war over the government of the city. A new Turkish pasha was appointed and given the title of viceroy, integrated back into the Ottoman Empire.
Barber Wars
In the early 19th century, the Regency of Tripoli had a naval clash with the United States due to practiced piracy. In May 1801, the pasha demanded an increase in the $83,000 tribute that the United States government had been paying since 1796 to protect its trade from piracy under the 1796 Treaty with Tripoli. The demand was rejected, and a naval force was sent from the United States to blockade Tripoli.
The First Barbary War, also called the Tripoli War, lasted four years. In 1803, Tripolitan fighters captured the American frigate USS Philadelphia and took her commander, Captain William Bainbridge, and the entire crew as hostages. The Philadelphia became a ship against the Americans and was anchored in the port of Tripoli as a cannon battery. The following year, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur of the United States Navy led a night raid to recapture the ship. Decatur's men set fire to the Philadelphia and escaped.
The most picturesque incident of the war was the expedition carried out by William Eaton to replace the pasha with an older brother living in exile, who had promised to carry out 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 and with the help of American ships his forces managed to occupy Derna. Soon after, on June 3, 1805, peace was concluded. The pasha renounced his demands and received $60,000 as a ransom for the prisoners of the Philadelphia under the 1805 Treaty with Tripoli.
In 1815, as a result of the new atrocities and due to the humiliation of earlier defeat, Captains Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur led an American squadron that again besieged Tripoli, forcing the pasha to comply with the United States' demands. See the Second Barbary War.
20th century: Italian Libya and independence
For a long time Italy had tried to bring Tripoli into its sphere of influence. Under the pretext of protecting its own citizens living in Tripoli from the Ottoman government, Italy declared war against the Ottomans on September 29, 1911 and announced its intention to annex Tripoli and its region. On October 1, 1911, a naval battle was fought in the Greek city of Préveza, where three Ottoman ships were destroyed. By the Treaty of Lausanne, the Ottoman Empire recognized Italian sovereignty over Libya, although the Caliph was authorized to continue to exercise religious authority.
The Italians faced fierce resistance from the Libyan mujahideen, who, despite the great imbalance in equipment, weapons, logistics and organization in favor of the Italian occupiers, won some battles through guerrilla warfare that ended only in 1915.
Resistance was especially protracted in eastern Libya (Cyrenaica) led by Omar Mukhtar, who was subsequently arrested, summarily court-martialed, and executed. Italy fully controlled Tripoli and the whole of Libya from 1931, with the assistance of some local mercenaries. Italian rule was complete to the point that the Libyan coastal area was united to the Kingdom of Italy and Arab citizens were granted Italian citizenship in 1938: two divisions of Libyan soldiers participated in the Second World War as an integral part of the army Italian. Tripoli was dominated by Italy until 1943, registering enormous development. Afterwards it was occupied by British forces until independence.
Libya gained its independence in 1951. Since then, Tripoli has been the country's capital, first under the monarchy of King Idris I, then under the revolutionary and dictatorial regime headed by Muammar Gaddafi and since 2011 under successive governments and parliaments that have taken place in a period of great instability.
On April 15, 1986, the United States Air Force and Navy bombed Tripoli and Benghazi. President Ronald Reagan justified the attacks on the grounds that the Gaddafi regime was responsible for terrorism directed against the US, including the bombing of the La Belle nightclub in West Berlin ten days earlier.
United Nations sanctions against Libya were lifted in 2003, leading to an increase in maritime traffic and a positive impact on the city's economy.
2011 Libyan War
During the month of February 2011, Tripoli was the scene of protests and clashes that were put down by the military and police forces of the regime of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi.
Later in August, rebel forces clashed with forces loyal to Gaddafi for control of the capital. The troops of the National Transitional Council managed to overthrow the Libyan revolutionary and took control of the city.
Geography
Tripoli is located on the Libyan coast in the western region, close to the border with Tunisia. The average altitude above sea level of the city is only 1 meter. Almost 1,000 kilometers of coastline separate Tripoli from Benghazi, the second largest city in Libya. Between the two lies the Gulf of Sirte, sometimes called the Gulf of Sidra.
The region of Tripolitania, established around Tripoli, is characterized by its sandy coastline, with lagoons and coastal oases scattered along it. The 'Sha'biyah', administrative division of Libya, includes the city, its suburbs and immediate surroundings. In older administrative systems and throughout history, there existed a province called "muhafazah", a state known as "wilayah" or city-state with a much larger area, which is how Tripoli has sometimes been erroneously referred to, more correctly called the aforementioned Tripolitania.
As a sha'biyah, Tripoli borders the following:
- Tajura Wa Al Nawahi AlArba' - east
- Tarhuna Wa Msalata - southeast
- Al Jfara - south
- Az Zawiyah - West
Climate
Tripoli's climate is semi-arid subtropical (BSh according to the Köppen climate classification), influenced and marked by the homonymous sea that bathes its coasts and which contrasts with the extreme temperatures of the south of the country, hit by aridity and extreme temperatures, because they are in the middle of the desert. Summers in Tripoli are hot and winters are mild. The average temperatures in July are between 22 and 32 °C, while in December they have reached 1 °C, although the average is between 9 and 18 °C. The average annual rainfall is less than 400 millimeters and it is very irregular.
A sample is the major floods that in 1945 left the city submerged for several days and the drought that affected Tripoli two years later, resulting in the loss of thousands of head of cattle. The deficiency of rainfall is reflected in the absence of permanent rivers or streams in Tripoli, as well as in the whole country. The Great Man-Made River, a network of aqueducts that transports water from the desert to coastal cities, supplies Tripoli with water. This plan was initiated by Gaddafi in 1982 and has had a very positive impact on the city's inhabitants.
 Average climate parameters of Tripoli (1961 - 1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Ene. | Feb. | Mar. | Open up. | May. | Jun. | Jul. | Ago. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Annual |
| Temp. max. abs. (°C) | 32.2 | 33.9 | 37.8 | 41.7 | 43.3 | 47.8 | 47.2 | 48.3 | 46.1 | 42.2 | 37.2 | 31.1 | 48.3 |
| Average temperature (°C) | 17.9 | 19.1 | 20.7 | 23.7 | 27.1 | 30.4 | 31.7 | 32.6 | 31.0 | 27.7 | 23.3 | 19.3 | 25.4 |
| Average temperature (°C) | 13.4 | 14.3 | 16.0 | 18.7 | 21.9 | 25.3 | 26.7 | 27.7 | 26.2 | 22.9 | 18.4 | 14.6 | 20.5 |
| Temp. medium (°C) | 8.9 | 9.5 | 11.2 | 13.7 | 16.7 | 20.1 | 21.7 | 22.7 | 21.4 | 18.0 | 13.4 | 9.9 | 15.6 |
| Temp. min. abs. (°C) | 0 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 7.8 | 11.1 | 12.8 | 14.4 | 12.8 | 0 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total precipitation (mm) | 62.1 | 32.2 | 29.6 | 14.3 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 16.7 | 46.6 | 58.2 | 67.5 | 333.9 |
| Precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 9.4 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0 | 2.3 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 9.1 | 52.3 |
| Hours of sun | 206 | 214 | 237 | 250 | 315 | 312 | 376 | 352 | 271 | 244 | 212 | 198 | 3187 |
| Source No. 1: World Weather Information Service (Medium temperatures and precipitation) (in English) | |||||||||||||
| Source No. 2: Weatherbase (record temperatures) (in English) | |||||||||||||
Economy
Tripoli is Libya's economic stronghold. The center of banking, finance and the media, as well as trade and industry. Many of Libya's largest corporations have their headquarters in the city as well as most international companies.
The main industries are dedicated to food, the textile sector, construction materials and clothing. Tripoli has become an attraction for tourism and foreign investment, as can be seen in the constant arrival of ships and planes to the port of Tripoli and its airport, the largest in the country.
The city hosts the Tripoli International Festival, an international event dedicated to industry, agriculture and commerce located on Omar Muktar street. As one of the members of the Global Association of Industrial Exhibition, based in Paris, the festival is organized annually from April 2 to 12, involving around 50 countries as well as more than 150 international companies.
Since the increase in tourism and the arrival of businessmen with their families, the demand for hotels has risen. The Corinthia Bab África hotel located in the central business district was built has satisfied these demands and has become the hotel of larger than Libya. Other important hotels are the Bab El Bahr hotel and the Kabir Hotel as well as others.
Schools and Universities
The largest university in Tripoli, Al Fateh University, is a public university that provides free education to the inhabitants of the city, the largest and most important in Tripoli. Other universities located in Tripoli are Al Fateh University of Medical Sciences (with faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing), The Open University and the University of Tripoli. Some private schools and universities have also started to appear in recent years.
Transportation
Aerial
34 kilometers south of the city is the Tripoli International Airport, the most important in Libya in terms of passenger movement and the country's main link with international destinations.
Sports
The most popular sport in Tripoli is soccer; the city is home to several Libyan league football teams. The teams that are local to Tripoli are:
- Al Ahly
- Al Ittihad
- Al Madina
- Al-Shat
- Al Wahda
The city is home to the June 11 Stadium, one of the largest soccer stadiums in Africa with a capacity for about 67,000 people. The most popular team in the Libyan football league, Al Ahly, plays in it. Matches of the 1982 African Cup of Nations were held at the stadium, including the final, where the Libyan soccer team was runner-up after losing to the Ghana soccer team 7-6 in a penalty shootout.
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