A Brief History.....

The original city was founded around 800 BC (much of Tripoli's history is now lost). It is thought to have been founded in the el Mina area,  however there is no remains of it. The town began as only a small trading port before the coming federation.

Tripoli was named Tripolis by the Greeks as it was divided into three walled quarters. The quarters were federal seats for Phoenicia's other city-states - Byblos, Sidon and Aradus.

Under the rule of Seleucids and, later the Romans many elegant temples and other buildings were built. Most of the town was however destroyed due to a huge earthquake in 543 AD, which changed the whole geography of the port.

The town was quickly rebuilt, but, by 635 AD a general of Mu'awyah, the governor of Syria who founded the Umayyad dynasty (661-701AD) beseiged the city. He aspired to strave the town into submission, however with help of the Byzantine emperor, the people escaped by sea. When the general came to the town, he found it abandoned. He brought in a military garrison and a jewish colony in attemp to repopulate it. As the garrison was always away, it brought an opportunity for the Byzantines to seize the town. They did so and Tripoli was now in Christian hands. 

It was recaptured by the Umayyads and later by the Aabasid Caliphs. It remained under their control until the Crusaders came in 1109. During the long and difficult seige the Crusaders lit an Arabic library of 100 000 volumes. Raymond de Saint-Gilles commenced the seige but his cousin Guillaume Jourdain completed it as Raymond died during the seige. The final victory was brought with the help of a Genoese squadron.

After 180 years of Crusader control (during this time thye built the Raymond de Saint-Gilles Castle) the Mameluke sultan Qala'un took over Tripoli in 1289. He gave the Muslims some land at the foot of the castle where they built the present-day old city. They also built defensive towers at El Mina. Later, in 1516 the Turkish Ottomans took over the city under the rule of sultan Selim I.

Since independence in 1946, Tripoli has become the administrative capital of Northern Lebanon. During the Civil Tripoli suffered some damaged however it is now looking at rebuilding its industry and business sectors.

 

 

 

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