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85-604: Margat is located on a hill formed by an extinct volcano about 360 metres (1,180 ft) above sea level on the road between Tripoli and Latakia , overlooking the Mediterranean Sea . According to Arab sources, the site of Margat Castle was first fortified in 1062 by Muslims who continued to hold it within the Christian Principality of Antioch in the aftermath of the First Crusade . When

170-649: A vali (governor) still appointed by the Sublime Porte but with new provincial assemblies participating in administration. In 1872 Jerusalem and the surrounding towns became the Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem , gaining a special administrative status. From 1872 until World War I subdivisions of Ottoman Syria were: The sanjak Zor and the major part of the vilayet Aleppo may or may not be included in Ottoman Syria. The Geographical Dictionary of

255-653: A Sunni militia which controlled the harbour and was backed by the PLO , and the Alawite Arab Democratic Party ’s militia. The ADP were backed by the communist Red Knights as well as Syrian special forces. After a week of fighting which saw around 150 killed, 4500 wounded and 200,000 people leaving their homes, the Syrians brokered a truce which involved the Syrian army occupying five key positions and

340-1111: A curiously shaped corniche, doorway or moulded window frame. Among the finest is the madrassa al-Burtasiyah, with an elegant façade picked out in black and white stones and a highly decorated lintel over the main door. Public buildings in Mamluk Tripoli were emphasized through sitting, façade treatment, and street alignment. Well-cut and well-dressed stones (local sandstone) were used as media of construction and for decorative effects on elevations and around openings (the ablaq technique of alternating light and dark stone courses). Bearing walls were used as vertical supports. Cross vaults covered most spaces from prayer halls to closed rectangular rooms, to galleries around courtyards. Domes were constructed over conspicuous and important spaces like tomb chambers, mihrab , and covered courtyards. Typical construction details in Mamluk Tripoli included cross vaults with concave grooves meeting in octagonal openings or concave rosettes as well as simple cupolas or ribbed domes. The use of double drums and corner squinches

425-535: A financial center and main port of northern Phoenicia with sea trade (East Mediterranean and the West), and caravan trade (North Syria and hinterland). Under the Seleucids , Tripoli gained the right to mint its own coins (112 BCE); it was granted autonomy between 104 and 105, which it retained until 64 BCE. At the time, Tripoli was a center of shipbuilding and cedar timber trade (like other Phoenician cities). During

510-463: A fine example of the architecture of that time. The oldest among them were built with stones taken from 12th and 13th-century churches; the characteristics of the architecture of the period are best seen in the mosques and madrassas , the Islamic schools. It is the madrassas which most attract attention, for they include highly original structures as well as decoration: here a honeycombed ceiling, there

595-541: A heterogeneous population including Western Europeans , Greeks , Armenians , Maronites , Nestorians , Jews , and Muslims . During that time, Tripoli witnessed the growth of the inland settlement surrounding the "Pilgrim's Mountain" (the Citadel of Tripoli ) into a built-up suburb including the main religious monuments of the city such as: The "Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Pilgrim's Mountain" (incorporating

680-599: A high rate of urban growth and a fast city development (according to traveler's accounts). It also had poles of growth including the fortress, the Great Mosque , and the river banks. The city had seven guard towers on the harbor site to defend the inland city, including what still stands today as the Lion Tower . During the period the castle of Saint-Gilles was expanded as the Citadel of Mamluk Tripoli. The "Aqueduct of

765-453: A mostly Sunni Muslim-inhabited enclave in an area largely populated by members of the Alawite community. A suburb has existed outside the fortress since at least the late 12th century, during Crusader rule. During this period, its chief exports were sumac , wine, must , almonds, figs and pottery. In 1325 North African geographer Ibn Batuta visited the suburb. In 1938 al-Marqab stood near

850-643: A number of different names as far back as the Phoenician age. In the Amarna letters the name Derbly , possibly a Semitic cognate of the city's modern Arabic name Ṭarābulus , was mentioned, and in other places Ahlia or Wahlia are mentioned (14th century BCE). In an engraving concerning the invasion of Tripoli by the Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II (888–859 BCE), it is called Mahallata or Mahlata , Mayza , and Kayza . Under

935-707: A shipyard, since the Ottoman rule and until this day a ship and marine contractor. It was also known as St Thomas Island during the Crusades. The opposite of Palms Island, which is a large flat sandy beach, is Ramkin Island . This island is largely made up of cliffs and rocks. The Citadel of Tripoli is also known as the Castle of Saint-Gilles ( Arabic : قلعة سان جيل Qalʻat Sān Jīl ; French : Château Saint-Gilles ), in reference to Raymond de Saint-Gilles , who dominated

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1020-567: A territory containing numerous villages." During the Ottoman era , Margat became the administrative center of a kaza ("district") of the same name, which contained three nahiyas ("subdistricts") — Margat, Qadmus and Khawabi . In the 1890s there was a total of 393 localities with a collective population of 39,671, of whom 21,121 were Alawites . The chief agricultural products were olives, onions, tobacco and silk, which were largely marketed to Beirut -based merchants. The fortress served as

1105-522: Is also given the title of "City of Knowledge and Scholars" (Arabic: طرابلس مدينة العلم والعلماء , romanized:  Ṭarābulus madīnat al-ʿilm wa-l-ʿulamāʾ ). Evidence of settlement in Tripoli dates back as early as 1400 BCE. Tripoli was originally established as a Phoenician colony in the 8th century BC. There, the Phoenicians established a trading station and later, under Persian rule,

1190-468: Is attributable, in part, to the city's dysfunctional politics, in which a fragmented array of Sunni political figures (such as Saad Hariri , Najib Mikati , Faisal Karami , and Ashraf Rifi ) vie for influence through competing networks of patronage: "No single leader has been able to assert dominance, leaving city politics to devolve into chaos." Tripoli has a majority Arab , Sunni Muslim population in neighborhoods such as Bab al-Tabbaneh, right next to

1275-519: Is concentrated in the winter months, with the summer typically being very dry. Tripoli has many offshore islands. The Palm Islands Nature Reserve , or the Rabbits' Island, is the largest of the islands with an area of 20 ha (49 acres). The name "Araneb" or Rabbits comes from the great numbers of rabbits that were grown on the island during the time of the French mandate early in the 20th century. It

1360-697: Is now a nature reserve for green turtles, rare birds and rabbits. Declared as a protected area by UNESCO in 1992, camping, fire building or other depredation is forbidden. In addition to its scenic landscape, the Palm Island is also a cultural heritage site. Evidence for human occupation, dated back to the Crusader period, was uncovered during 1973 excavations by the General Directorate of Antiquities. The Bakar Islands, also known as Abdulwahab Island, were leased to Adel and Khiereddine Abdulwahab as

1445-745: Is the largest and most important city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in the country. Situated 81 km (50 mi) north of the capital Beirut , it is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District . Tripoli overlooks the eastern Mediterranean Sea , and it is the northernmost seaport in Lebanon. The city is predominantly inhabited by Sunni Muslims , with smaller populations of Alawites and Christians , including Maronites and Armenians among others. The history of Tripoli dates back at least to

1530-503: The small Lebanese-Alawite community that is concentrated in the Jabal Mohsen neighborhood. Christians constitute today less than 5 percent of the population of the city. The Christian population in the city comprises Greek Orthodox Christians , Maronites and Greek Catholics, along with Armenians . Tripoli stands as one of Lebanon's less stable cities, marked by recurrent sectarian tensions among its communities , notably

1615-627: The Battle of Ridanieh , bringing an end to the Mamluk Sultanate. When he first seized Syria in 1516, Selim I kept the administrative subdivisions of the Mamluk period unchanged. After he came back from Egypt in July 1517, he reorganized Syria into one large province or eyalet named Şam (Arabic/Turkish for "Syria"). The eyalet was subdivided into several districts or sanjaks . In 1549, Syria

1700-582: The Eyalet of Beirut . In 1833, the Syrian provinces were ceded to Muhammed Ali of Egypt in the Convention of Kutahya . The firman stated that "The governments of Candia and Egypt are continued to Mahomet Ali. And in reference to his special claim, I have granted him the provinces of Damascus, Tripoli-in-Syria, Sidon, Saphet, Aleppo, the districts of Jerusalem and Nablous, with the conduct of pilgrims and

1785-406: The Eyalet of Tripoli , encompassing the coastal territory from Byblos to Tarsus and the inland Syrian towns of Homs and Hama ; the two other eyalets were Aleppo Eyalet , and Şam Eyalet . Until 1612, Tripoli was considered as the port of Aleppo. It also depended on Syrian interior trade and tax collection from mountainous hinterland. Tripoli witnessed a strong presence of French merchants during

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1870-687: The Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem was split from the Syria Vilayet into an autonomous administration with special status. Before 1516, Syria was part of the Mamluk Empire centered in Lower Egypt . The Ottoman Sultan Selim I conquered Syria in 1516 after defeating the Mamlukes at the Battle of Marj Dabiq near Aleppo in northern Syria. Selim carried on his victorious campaign against the Mamlukes and conquered Egypt in 1517 following

1955-520: The Phoenicians , the name Athar was used to refer to Tripoli. When the Ancient Greeks settled in the city they called it Trípolis , meaning 'triple city', influenced by the earlier phonetically similar but etymologically unrelated name Derbly . The Arabs called it Ṭarābulus and Ṭarābulus ash-Shām (referring to bilād ash-Shām , or Levant , to distinguish it from the Libyan city with

2040-491: The Roman and Byzantine period, Tripoli witnessed the construction of important public buildings including a municipal stadium or gymnasium due to the strategic position of the city midway on the imperial coastal highway leading from Antioch to Ptolemais . In addition, Tripoli retained the same configuration of three distinct and administratively independent quarters ( Aradians , Sidonians , and Tyrians ). The territory outside

2125-626: The Syrian National Bloc until the French cut off their support, resulting in a massive 33 day general strike in 1936. Since Lebanese independence was achieved, Tripoli has been mired in a period of extended economic and political decline. Beirut's rise as Lebanon's dominant port deprived Tripoli of its former preeminence as a trade hub, and globalization eroded the city's ability to compete in manufacturing. Lebanon's civil war , from 1975 to 1990, hit Tripoli hard. On 15 September 1985 intense fighting broke out between Tawheed al-Islami ,

2210-775: The Taurus Mountains . Ottoman Syria became organized by the Ottomans upon conquest from the Mamluk Sultanate in the early 16th century as a single eyalet (province) of Damascus Eyalet . In 1534, the Aleppo Eyalet was split into a separate administration. The Tripoli Eyalet was formed out of Damascus province in 1579 and later the Adana Eyalet was split from Aleppo. In 1660, the Eyalet of Safed

2295-651: The Third Crusade . The bishop of nearby Valenia also used Margat as his headquarters after around 1240. Margat was second in size and power only to the other Hospitaller fortress to the south, Krak des Chevaliers. In September 1281, the Hospitallers of Margat dispatched a contingent of troops to support the Mongol invasion of Syria, which the Mamluk sultan of Egypt Qalawun successfully prevented after defeating

2380-550: The partition of the Ottoman Empire , the French created the territory of Greater Lebanon , whose borders forcibly separated Tripoli from Syria, a decision that was contested by Tripolitans. Tripoli's population - mostly Sunni Muslims - found itself isolated in this state dominated by Christians, and so Tripoli developed a strong identity as a bastion for Muslim Arab nationalism and anti-imperialism. During this period, protests demanding reunification with Syria were backed by

2465-552: The "Double Kaymakamate ", the former regime based on religious rule that led to civil war, into the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate , governed by a mutasarrıf who, according to law, had to be a non-Lebanese Christian. As part of the Tanzimat reforms, an Ottoman law passed in 1864 provided for a standard provincial administration throughout the empire with the eyalets becoming smaller vilayets , governed by

2550-618: The 14th century BCE. It was called Athar by the Phoenicians , and later Tripolis by the Greek settlers, whence the modern Arabic name Ṭarābulus derives. In the Arab world , Tripoli has been historically known as Ṭarābulus ash-Shām (Arabic: طرابلس الشام , lit.   'Tripoli of the Levant '), to distinguish it from its Libyan counterpart , known as Ṭarābulus al-Gharb (Arabic: طرابلس الغرب‎ , lit.   'Tripoli of

2635-662: The 17th and 18th centuries and became under intense inter-European competition for trade. Tripoli was reduced to a sanjak centre in the Vilayet of Beirut in 19th century and retained her status until 1918 when it was captured by British forces. Public works in Ottoman Tripoli included the restoration of the Citadel of Tripoli by Suleiman I , the Magnificent. That was the only major project during 400 years of Ottoman Rule. Later governors brought further modifications to

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2720-606: The Crusaders' rule the city became the capital of the County of Tripoli . In 1289, it fell to the Mamluks and the old port part of the city was destroyed. A new inland city was then built near the old castle. During Ottoman rule from 1516 to 1918, it retained its prosperity and commercial importance. Tripoli and all of Lebanon was under French mandate from 1920 until 1943 when Lebanon achieved independence. Many historians reject

2805-526: The Levant the need for defence was paramount and this was reflected in castle design. Historian Hugh Kennedy suggests that "The castle scientifically designed as a fighting machine surely reached its apogee in great buildings like Margat and Crac des Chevaliers." Like the Krak des Chevaliers , Margat is a large spur castle with many typical elements of a concentric castle . It has a bent entrance leading through

2890-622: The Magnificent who had ordered the restoration. In the early 19th century, the Citadel was extensively restored by the Ottoman Governor of Tripoli Mustafa Agha Barbar . The Clock Tower is one of the most iconic monuments in Tripoli. The tower is located in Al-Tell square, and was gifted to the city by the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II . It was erected in 1906 to celebrate the 30th year of Abdulhamid II of

2975-566: The Mamluk commander Fakhr al-Din Mukri on 23 May, with Qalwun entering Margat two days later. The siege was witnessed by eleven-year-old Abu'l Fida and his father, the Ayyubid governor of Hama . Qalawun allowed the Hospitallers to leave with everything they could carry. Rather than destroy Margat as he did with other fortresses, he repaired its defences and placed a strong garrison there due to its strategic value. Marqat, known as Marqab by

3060-518: The Muslims, became a district of the Mamluk province of Tripoli with maintenance of the area financed by the sultan. Intrepid traveller Ibn Battuta visited the fortress and noted that a suburb was built outside of it for foreigners, who were not allowed entry into the fortress. The district governor based at the Marqab fortress held the military rank of "Emir of 20 Mamluks." He was charged with defending

3145-791: The Ottoman Empire, like the Jaffa Clock Tower in Israel and many others throughout the Empire. Ottoman Syria Ottoman Syria ( Arabic : سوريا العثمانية ) is a historiographical term used to describe the group of divisions of the Ottoman Empire within the region of Levant , usually defined as being east of the Mediterranean Sea , west of the Euphrates River , north of the Arabian Desert and south of

3230-916: The Prince" was reused to bring water from the Rash'in spring. Several bridges were constructed and the surrounding orchards expanded through marsh drainage. Fresh water was supplied to houses from their roofs. The urban form of Mamluk Tripoli was dictated mainly by climate, site configuration, defense, and urban aesthetics. The layout of major thoroughfares was set according to prevailing winds and topography. The city had no fortifications, but heavy building construction characterized by compact urban forms, narrow and winding streets for difficult city penetration. Residential areas were bridged over streets at strategic points for surveillance and defense. The city also included many loopholes and narrow slits at street junctions. The religious and secular buildings of Mamluk Tripoli comprise

3315-530: The Principality was defeated at the Battle of Harran in 1104, the Byzantine Empire took advantage of their weakness and captured Margat from the Muslims. A few years later it was captured by Tancred, Prince of Galilee , regent of Antioch, and became part of the Principality. In the 1170s, it was controlled by Rainald II Masoir of Antioch as a vassal of the count of Tripoli . The fortress

3400-481: The Sanjaks of Aleppo , Adana , Marash , Aintab , and Urfa . The Eyalet of Tripoli included the Sanjaks of Tripoli , Latakia , Hama and Homs . The Eyalet of Damascus included the Sanjaks of Damascus , Beirut, Sidon ( Sidon-Beirut ), Acre , Safad , Nablus , Jerusalem , Gaza , Hauran and Ma'an . In 1660, the Eyalet of Safad was established. It was later renamed the Eyalet of Sidon , and later,

3485-776: The Shiite shrine), the Church of Saint Mary of the Tower, and the Carmelite Church . The state was a major base of operations for the military order of the Knights Hospitaller , who occupied the famous castle Krak Des Chevaliers (today a UNESCO world heritage site). The state ceased to exist in 1289, when it was captured by the Egyptian Mamluk sultan Qalawun . The mid-twelfth century earthquake led to

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3570-427: The Sunni and Alawite populations. The impact of the Syrian civil war , beginning in 2011, has extended into Tripoli, where local Alawites align with the Assad regime, while Lebanese Sunnis support the opposition, resulting in frequent and intense clashes between the two groups. Tripoli has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) with mild wet winters and very dry, hot summers. Temperatures are moderated throughout

3655-505: The West'). Landmarks of Tripoli include the Mansouri Great Mosque and the Citadel of Tripoli , which is the largest crusader castle in Lebanon. The city has the second highest concentration of Mamluk architecture after Cairo . Tripoli also holds a string of four small islands offshore, the Palm Islands , which were declared a protected area because of their status as a haven for endangered loggerhead turtles ( Caretta caretta ), rare monk seals and migratory birds . Tripoli borders

3740-423: The World, published in 1906, describes Syria as: "a country in the [south-west] part of Asia, forming part of the Turkish Empire. It extends eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to the river Euphrates and the Syrian Desert (the prolongation northward of the Arabian Desert), and southward from the Alma-Dagh (ancient Amanus), one of the ranges of the Taurus , to the frontiers of Egypt (Isthmus of Suez) It lies between

3825-457: The ancient southern port quay, grinding mills , different types of columns, wheels, bows, and a necropolis from the end of the Hellenistic period . A sounding made in the Crusader castle uncovered Late Bronze Age , Iron Age , in addition to Roman , Byzantine , and Fatimid remains. At the Abou Halka area (at the southern entrance of Tripoli) refuges dating to the early (30,000 years old) and middle Stone Age were uncovered. Tripoli became

3910-402: The base of a gate tower. A notable feature of the inner defences is a large circular tower, sometimes referred to as a donjon (though it should not be confused with a central keep ). Unlike the Krak Des Chevaliers, Margat has a large outer ward, giving it a larger total area. The village of al-Marqab ( Arabic : المرقب ) is located just north of the castle, straddling the road leading north to

3995-399: The buildings and include the use of marble marquetry, stucco, and glass mosaic). Mosques evenly spread with major concentration of madrasas around the Mansouri Great Mosque. All khans were located in the northern part of the city for easy accessibility from roads to Syria. Hammams (public baths) were carefully located to serve major population concentrations: one next to the Grand Mosque,

4080-403: The city became the center of a confederation of the Phoenician city-states of Sidon , Tyre , and Arados Island. Under Hellenistic rule, Tripoli was used as a naval shipyard and the city enjoyed a period of autonomy. It came under Roman rule around 64 BCE. The 551 Beirut earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Byzantine city of Tripoli along with other Mediterranean coastal cities. Tripoli

4165-457: The city for almost three decades until 2005: As a majority Sunni city with a growing strain of indigenous Islamist militancy , Tripoli suffered some of the Syrians’ cruelest predations at a time when then-President Hafez al-Assad was engaged in the brutal suppression of Syria’s own Muslim Brotherhood . Wartime violence and instability triggered waves of emigration and capital flight. It also left Tripoli increasingly isolated, not least due to

4250-405: The city in 1102 and commanded a fortress to be built in which he named Mont Pèlerin (Mount Pilgrim). The original castle was burnt down in 1289, and rebuilt again on numerous occasions and was rebuilt in 1307–08 by Emir Essendemir Kurgi . Later the citadel was rebuilt in part by the Ottoman Empire which can be seen today, with its massive Ottoman gateway, over which is an engraving from Süleyman

4335-513: The city of El Mina , the port of the Tripoli District, which it is geographically conjoined with to form the greater Tripoli conurbation. With the formation of Lebanon and the 1948 breakup of the Syrian–Lebanese customs union, Tripoli, once on par in economic and commercial importance to Beirut, was cut off from its traditional trade relations with the Syrian hinterland and therefore declined in relative prosperity. The city faces recurrent sectarian clashes, high unemployment, economic disparities, and

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4420-420: The city was divided between the three quarters. Tripoli gained in importance as a trading centre for the whole Mediterranean after it was inhabited by the Arabs . Tripoli was the port city of Damascus ; the second military port of the Arab Navy, following Alexandria ; a prosperous commercial and shipbuilding center; a wealthy principality under the Kutama Ismaili Shia Banu Ammar emirs . Legally, Tripoli

4505-434: The city with walls but restored and reused Saint-Gille's citadel. During the Mamluk period, Tripoli became a central city and provincial capital of the six kingdoms in Mamluk Syria . Tripoli ranked third after Aleppo and Damascus . The kingdom was subdivided into six wilayahs or provinces and extended from Byblos and Aqra mountains south, to Latakia and al Alawiyyin mountains north. It also included Hermel ,

4590-642: The city's first congregational mosque in memory of his father (Qalawun), in either late 1293 or 1294 (693 AH). Six madrasas were later built around the mosque. The Mamluks did not fortify the city with walls but restored and reused a Crusader citadel on the site. In addition, there were two quarter mosques ( Abd al-Wahed and Arghoun Shah ), and two mosques that were built on empty land (al-Burtasi and al-Uwaysiyat). Other mosques incorporated earlier structures (churches, khans, and shops). Mamluk Tripoli also included 16 madrasas of which four no longer exist (al-Zurayqiyat, al-Aattar, al-Rifaiyah, and al-Umariyat). Six of

4675-416: The coalition at Homs . To punish the Hospitallers, Qalawun clandestinely raised an army in Damascus and besieged Margat on 17 April 1285. After a 38-day siege during which sappers and miners managed to dig several tunnels underneath the fortress's walls, a mine destroyed a salient of the southernmost wall. The defenders panicked and on discovering the numerous tunnels around the fortress, surrendered to

4760-436: The coast, particularly from threats from the island of Cyprus , and maintaining the guard towers and observation posts. During the Burji Mamluk period, Margat was well known in the region for containing an imperial prison with many high-profile inmates. The 15th-century Muslim historian Khalil al-Zahiri noted that Marqab fortress was among the most important sites of Tripoli province. Marqab was "clearly impregnable and controls

4845-402: The coastal city of Baniyas . Nearby localities besides Baniyas, include Talin to the east, Osaibah to the southeast with Basatin al-Assad and al-Bayda to the south. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), al-Marqab had a population of 2,618 as of the 2004 census. Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims . Together, al-Marqab, Basatin al-Assad and al-Bayda form

4930-427: The commandment of the Tcherde (the yearly offering to the tomb of the Prophet). His son, Ibrahim Pacha, has again the title of Sheikh and Harem of Mekka, and the district of Jedda; and farther, I have acquiesced in his request to have the district of Adana ruled by the Treasury of Taurus, with the title of Mohassil." In this period, the Sublime Porte's firmans (decrees) of 1839 and, more decisively, of 1856 – equalizing

5015-490: The death of many Jews in Tripoli, as noted by Jewish explorer Benjamin of Tudela . Tripoli was captured by Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun from the Crusaders in 1289. The Mamluks destroyed the old city and built a new city 4 km inland from it. About 35 monuments from the Mamluk city have survived to the present day, including mosques, madrasas, khanqahs , hammams (bathhouses), and caravanserais , many of them built by local Mamluk amirs (princes). The Mamluks did not fortify

5100-618: The dismantling of Lebanon's rail network and the abandonment of the Tripoli railway station . The city, moreover, saw little of the post-war reconstruction funding that Prime Minister Rafic Hariri ushered into Lebanon, with an overwhelming focus on the capital. In the years since, living conditions in Tripoli have continued to decline. In 2016, the United Nation's Human Settlements Program estimated that 58% of Tripoli's Lebanese residents lived in poverty. That already high figure preceded Lebanon's 2019 financial crisis , which has ratcheted up poverty and food insecurity. Tripoli's stagnation

5185-418: The emergence of a Christian-dominated Lebanon in the 1920s – 40s and the deep fissure between Christian and Muslim Palestinian Arabs as they confronted the Zionist influx after World War I." Following the massacre of thousands of Christian civilians during the 1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus , and under growing European pressure, mainly from France, an Ottoman edict issued in 1861 transformed

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5270-719: The foot of the fortress and was among five Sunni Muslim villages in the area, which also contained several Alawite, Greek Orthodox , Greek Catholic and Maronite villages. In 1945, at the end of the French Mandate , al-Marqab had a population of 832. Starting in 1968, it experienced significant prosperity due to the construction of the Iraq Petroleum Company pipeline and petroleum port at Baniyas. Tripoli, Lebanon Tripoli ( / ˈ t r ɪ p əl i / TRIP -əl-ee ; Arabic : طَرَابُلُس , ALA-LC : Ṭarābulus , pronounced [tˤaˈraːbulus] ; Lebanese Arabic : طرابلس , romanized:  Ṭrāblus , locally [ˈtˤrɔːblɪs] ; see below )

5355-461: The infiltration of radical Islamist groups in poorer neighborhoods. According to classical writers Diodorus Siculus , Pliny the Elder , and Strabo , the city was founded by combining colonies from three different Phoenician cities – Tyre , Sidon and Arwad . These colonies were each a stadion ( c.  180 m ) apart from each other, and the combined city became known as 'Triple City', or Trípolis ( Τρίπολις ) in Greek . Tripoli had

5440-399: The madrasas concentrated around the Grand Mosque. Tripoli also included a Khanqah , many secular buildings, five Khans, three hammams ( Turkish baths ) that are noted for their cupolas. Hammams were luxuriously decorated and the light streaming down from their domes enhances the inner atmosphere of the place. During the Ottoman period, Tripoli became the provincial capital and chief town of

5525-609: The original Crusader structure used as garrison center and prison. Khan al-Saboun (originally a military barrack) was constructed in the center of the city to control any uprising. Ottoman Tripoli also witnessed the development of the southern entrance of the city and many buildings, such as the al-Muallaq or "hanging" Mosque (1559), al-Tahhan Mosque (early 17th century), and al-Tawbah mosque (Mamluk construction, destroyed by 1612 flood and restored during early Ottoman Period). It also included several secular buildings, such as Khan al-Saboun (early 17th century) and Hammam al-Jadid (1740). After

5610-505: The other in the center of the commercial district, and the third in the right-bank settlement. About 35 monuments from the Mamluk city have survived to the present day, including mosques, madrasas, khanqahs, hammams, and caravanserais, many of them built by local Mamluk amirs. Major buildings in Mamluk Tripoli included six congregational mosques (the Mansouri Great Mosque, al-Aattar , Taynal , al-Uwaysiyat , al-Burtasi , and al-Tawbat Mosques). Sultan al-Ashraf Khalil (r. 1290–93) founded

5695-448: The parallels of 31° and 37° [north latitude]. It comprises the vilayet of Syria (Suria) , or of Damascus, the vilayet of Beirut, the [south-west] part of the vilayet of Aleppo, and the mutessarrifliks of Jerusalem and the Lebanon. Palestine is included in [the country] Syria, comprising the mutessarriflik of Jerusalem and part of the vilayets of Beirut and Syria. The designation Syria is sometimes used in wider sense so as to include

5780-471: The persecution of dhimmis by the Shi'ite Fatimid caliph al-Hakim (996–1021), the synagogue faced conversion into a mosque. Notably, during the Seljuk invasion in the 1070s, Tripoli served as a refuge for Jews from Palestine, as documented in Cairo Geniza records. During the Crusade period, the city became the chief town of the County of Tripoli (a Crusader state founded by Raymond of Saint-Gilles ) extending from Byblos to Latakia and including

5865-425: The plain of Akkar with the famous Krak des Chevaliers . Tripoli was also the seat of a bishopric . Tripoli was home to a busy port and was a major center of silk weaving, with as many as 4,000 looms. Important products of the time included lemons, oranges, and sugar cane. For 180 years, during the Frankish rule, Occitan was among the languages spoken in Tripoli and neighboring villages. At that time, Tripoli had

5950-488: The plain of Akkar , and Hosn al-Akrad ( Krak des Chevaliers ). Tripoli became a major trading port of Syria supplying Europe with candy, loaf and powdered sugar (especially during the latter part of the 14th century). The main products from agriculture and small industry included citrus fruits, olive oil, soap, and textiles (cotton and silk, especially velvet ). The Mamluks formed the ruling class holding main political, military and administrative functions. Arabs formed

6035-501: The population base (religious, industrial, and commercial functions) and the general population included the original inhabitants of the city, immigrants from different parts of the Levant, North Africans who accompanied Qalawun 's army during the liberation of Tripoli, Eastern Orthodox Christians , some Western families, and a minority of Jews . The population size of Mamluk Tripoli is estimated at 20,000–40,000; against 100,000 in each of Damascus and Aleppo. Mamluk Tripoli witnessed

6120-709: The presence of any Phoenician civilization in Tripoli before the 8th (or sometimes 4th) century BCE. Others argue that the north–south gradient of Phoenician port establishments on the Lebanese coast indicates an earlier age for the Phoenician Tripoli. Tripoli has not been extensively excavated because the ancient site lies buried beneath the modern city of El Mina . However, a few accidental finds are now in museums. Excavations in El Mina revealed skeletal remains of ancient wolves , eels , and gazelles , part of

6205-458: The removal of heavy weapons. The truce broke down on 27 September and Tahweed al-Islami positions where bombarded from SSNP and Syrian artillery positions in the surrounding hills. On 1 October, following an Iranian diplomatic intervention, Tahweed agreed to surrender their heavy weapons and Syrian troops, on 6 October, were deployed throughout the city. A further 350 people had been killed and hundreds more wounded. The Syrian army remained in

6290-522: The residence of the kaymakam ("military governor") of the district until 1884 when the seat was transferred to Baniyas . The last known owner of the castle was Al-Markabi family (“Al-Marqabi”) where the name was based on the castle. In 2023, the castle was damaged during the February earthquake . Castles in Europe provided lordly accommodation for their owners and acted as centres of administration. In

6375-484: The same name ). Once, Tripoli was also known as al-Fayḥāʾ ( الفيحاء ), which is a term derived from the Arabic verb fāḥa ( فاح ) which is used to indicate the diffusion of a scent or smell. Tripoli was once known for its vast orange orchards. During the season of blooming, the pollen of orange flowers was said to be carried on the air, creating a splendid perfume that filled the city and suburbs. The city of Tripoli

6460-563: The status of Muslim and non-Muslim subjects – produced a dramatic alienation of Muslims from Christians. In the words of one writer, "The former resented the implied loss of superiority and recurrently assaulted and massacred Christian communities – in Aleppo in 1850, in Nablus in 1856, and in Damascus and Lebanon in 1860. Among the long-term consequences of these bitter internecine conflicts were

6545-658: The whole of the vilayet of Aleppo and the Zor Sanjak , a large part of Mesopotamia being thus added." About Syria in 1915, a British report says: "The term Syria in those days was generally used to denote the whole of geographical and historic Syria, that is to say the whole of the country lying between the Taurus Mountains and the Sinai Peninsula, which was made up of part of the Vilayet of Aleppo,

6630-406: The year due to the warm Mediterranean current coming from Western Europe. Therefore, temperatures are warmer in the winter by around 10 °C (18 °F) and cooler in the summer by around 7 °C (13 °F) compared to the interior of Lebanon. Although snow is an extremely rare event that only occurs around once every ten years, hail is common and occurs fairly regularly in the winter. Rainfall

6715-498: Was conquered by an Arab Muslim army in 635. During Umayyad rule, Tripoli became a commercial and shipbuilding center. It achieved semi-independence under Fatimid rule, when it developed into a center of learning. The Crusaders laid siege to the city at the beginning of the 12th century and were able finally to enter it in 1109. This caused extensive destruction, including the burning of Tripoli's famous library, Dar al-'Ilm (House of Knowledge), with its thousands of volumes. During

6800-577: Was commonly used to make the transition from square rooms to round domes. Decorations in Mamluk buildings concentrated on the most conspicuous areas of buildings: minarets , portals, windows, on the outside, and mihrab, qiblah wall, and floor on the inside. Decorations at the time may be subdivided into structural decoration (found outside the buildings and incorporate the medium of construction itself such as ablaq walls, plain or zigzag moldings, fish scale motifs, joggled lintels or voussoirs, inscriptions, and muqarnas ) and applied decoration (found inside

6885-735: Was established and shortly afterwards renamed Sidon Eyalet ; in 1667, the Mount Lebanon Emirate was given special autonomous status within the Sidon province, but was abolished in 1841 and reconfigured in 1861 as the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate . The Syrian eyalets were later transformed into the Syria Vilayet , the Aleppo Vilayet and the Beirut Vilayet , following the 1864 Tanzimat reforms. Finally, in 1872,

6970-512: Was impregnable and that he had no hope of capturing it, he passed on to Jabala". It was one of the few remaining territories left in Christian hands after Saladin's conquests. By the beginning of the 13th century the Hospitallers controlled the surrounding land and roads and made a large profit from travellers and pilgrims passing through. Isaac Comnenus of Cyprus was imprisoned there after Richard I of England captured Cyprus from him during

7055-480: Was part of the jurisdiction of the military province of Damascus ( Jund Dimashq ). The Jewish community of Tripoli traces its roots back to the seventh century, as recounted by the Abbasid -era historian al-Baladhuri . During the caliphate of Rashidun caliph Uthman (644–655), the governor of Syria, Mu'awiya, settled Jews in Tripoli, fostering amicable relations with the majority Sunni Muslims . However, during

7140-399: Was reorganized into two eyalets. The northern Sanjak of Aleppo became the center of the new Eyalet of Aleppo. At this time, the two Syrian Eyalets were subdivided as follows: In 1579, the Eyalet of Tripoli was established under the name of Tripoli of Syria ( Turkish : Trablusşam ; Arabic : طرابلس الشام ). At this time, the eyalets became as follows: The Eyalet of Aleppo included

7225-634: Was so large that it had its own household officials and a number of rear-vassals . Rainald II's son Bertrand sold it to the Hospitallers in 1186 as it was too expensive for the Mazoir family to maintain. After some rebuilding and expansion by the Hospitallers it became their headquarters in Syria. Under Hospitaller control, its fourteen towers were thought to be impregnable. In 1188, Saladin marched on Margat having left Krak des Chevaliers in search of easier prey. According to Abu'l-Fida , "Recognising that Maqab

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