Misplaced Pages

#399600

70-811: He was born Abdel Majid Mohamed Tayeb Rafei on 11 April 1927 in a family in Tripoli, Lebanon which was pre-occupied by Arab nationalist ideas. During the French Mandate of Lebanon , in May 1941, Al-Rafei demonstrated in support of the Iraqi nationalist officers uprising against the British Mandate in Iraq . In 1943, he also demonstrated in Tripoli in support of Lebanese independence from French rule with one of his closest friends being killed in

140-629: 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

210-1104: 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

280-526: 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

350-458: 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

420-572: A fuel tank exploded in Akkar in North Lebanon. On 15 October 2024, Israel killed at least 21 in strike on Christian town in North Lebanon. In the 2000 Lebanese general election , North Lebanon was divided in two electoral districts: Akkar-Danniyeh-Bcharreh and Tripoli-Miniyeh-Zgharta-Koura-Batroun. Those division were made by Ghazi Kanaan and Rafik Hariri to ensure that the Sunni majority would take away

490-529: 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

560-582: 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

630-621: 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

700-505: A peaceful march through the streets. During the demonstration, the students were fervently advocating for an end to the occupation. The massacre contributed to accelerating the declaration of Lebanon’s independence. One day before the massacre, the French occupation army arrested Abdul Hamid Karami and imprisoned him in the Rashaya Citadel . On 12 June 1959, North Lebanon Governorate

770-689: 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

SECTION 10

#1732863165400

840-461: 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,

910-468: 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

980-461: 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

1050-584: Is in North Lebanon. The University of Balamand (UOB) is in North Lebanon. UOB was ranked second-best university in Lebanon according to QS University Rankings 2023. The most modern public Lebanese University campus is the North Campus. On 13 November 1943, a tragic incident took place in Tripoli, resulting in the loss of lives of 14 students, all under the age of 15. The students were struck by French tanks driven by Senegalese soldiers while participating in

1120-677: 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

1190-674: 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

1260-497: 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

1330-621: The 1986 Bab al-Tabbaneh massacre . In the 1980s, al-Shaar was a top intelligence official in northern Lebanon when Syrian troops stormed Tripoli and crushed a Sunni group that supported Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasser Arafat . The Syrian military intelligence ( المخابرات السورية ) set up a torture prison inside the Evangelical School in Jabal Mohsen , the prison was called "American Prison" ( معتقل الاميركان ). On 15 August 2021, 28 people were killed and 79 injured when

1400-454: 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

1470-509: 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

SECTION 20

#1732863165400

1540-487: 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

1610-617: 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 ,

1680-543: 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

1750-606: 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

1820-644: 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

1890-592: 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

1960-637: The Iraqi faction has been reorganized as Hizb Al-Taliyeh Lubnan Al-'Arabi Al-Ishtiraki (in Arabic حزب طليعة لبنان العربي الاشتراكي known in English as Socialist Arab Lebanon Vanguard Party ). Al-Rafei died on 12 July 2017. 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 )

2030-742: The Lebanese Parliament because of impossibility of conducting Parliamentary elections because of the Lebanese Civil War and its repercussions, he retained his seat until 1989 with the Taif Agreement and the ensuing general elections in the country. During the Syrian hegemony of Lebanon, the Iraqi branch of the Baath party headed by Abd al-Majid al-Rafei came under increasing pressure by the Syrian rulers and its activities greatly curtailed. In 1983, after

2100-597: 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

2170-582: The Ottoman Empire, like the Jaffa Clock Tower in Israel and many others throughout the Empire. North Lebanon North Lebanon ( Arabic : شمال لبنان , romanized :  Shamal Lubnan ) is the northern region of Lebanon comprising the North Governorate and Akkar Governorate . On 16 July 2003, the two entities were divided from the same province by former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri . The division

Abd al-Majid al-Rafei - Misplaced Pages Continue

2240-908: 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

2310-740: 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

2380-475: 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

2450-673: 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

2520-563: 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

2590-518: 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,

2660-507: 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

2730-507: 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

2800-461: 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

2870-630: 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

Abd al-Majid al-Rafei - Misplaced Pages Continue

2940-591: 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

3010-537: 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 ,

3080-642: 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

3150-490: 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

3220-505: The demonstrations and another friend, Amin Hajar being injured by French bullets. After Lebanese Independence, he studied medicine in University of Lausanne , Switzerland and practiced medicine in the 1950s in Tripoli. In 1957 he attended a general Baath gathering and became an official member and one of the highest figures in the unified Baath Arab Socialist Party in Lebanon. With the split of

3290-618: 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

3360-461: 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

3430-399: 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

3500-495: The northern village of Qnat , where they killed 15 Lebanese Forces fighters, the battle is known as battle of Qnat . On 9 February 1986, Syrian Military Intelligence killed Tawhid leader Khalil Akkawi because he refused to fight the Lebanese Forces . Three supporters of Akkawi's Islamic Tawheed, or Islamic Unification Movement, were slain in gunfights with Syrian troopers after his burial, police reported. Former Syrian minister of interior Mohammad al-Shaar participated in

3570-609: 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

SECTION 50

#1732863165400

3640-505: 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

3710-409: The ouster of Yasser Arafat and his supporters from Tripoli, in a campaign organized by the Syrian government and pro-Syrian political groupings in Lebanon and pro-Syrian Palestinian factions, al-Rafei, one of the biggest anti-Syrian figureheads in Tripoli and the General Secretary of the pro-Iraqi Baathist Party - Lebanon went into voluntary exile to Iraq. After the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein

3780-399: The party between the pro-Iraqi Ba'ath branch and the pro-Syrian Ba'ath branch , both factions initially became part of the National Front against the rule of President of the Republic Camille Chamoun in the 1958 Civil War . With tensions increasing between the two factions, the two Baathist parties of Lebanon were on a war footing. The party was active in 1960s demonstrations, and al-Rafei

3850-471: 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

3920-425: 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

3990-488: 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

4060-501: 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

4130-529: 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

4200-458: 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

4270-431: 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

SECTION 60

#1732863165400

4340-561: The true Christian opposition representation, however Nayla Moawad still managed to win. In the 2005 Lebanese general election , the March 14 alliance that was formed between Nayla Moawad, Boutros Harb , Kataeb , Lebanese Forces and Saad Hariri after the Cedar Revolution won all the seats in North Lebanon. In the 2009 Lebanese general election , North Lebanon was divided into 7 electoral districts: Akkar, Minniyeh-Danniyeh, Tripoli, Zgharta, Bcharreh, Koura and Batroun. The March 14 Alliance won in 6 out of 7 electoral districts,

4410-406: 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

4480-498: 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

4550-577: 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

4620-582: Was created which separated Koura, Zgharta, Bcharreh and Batroun from Mount Lebanon . Districts that formed North Lebanon: On 23 November 1993, Minyeh and Danniyeh were separated from Tripoli and established their own district in North Lebanon. On 16 July 2003, Akkar was separated from North Lebanon due to the presence of government departments in the city of Tripoli which forced the citizens of Akkar to come from long distances in order to finish their government transactions. On 12 February 1978, Syrian special units ( Arabic : الوحدات الخاصة السورية ) attacked

4690-494: Was detained by Lebanese authorities for his political activities during the rule of President Fuad Chehab . In 1968, he was a candidate for Tripoli election district in the 1968 general election . The party expanded during the first half of the 1970s, and in the 1972 general election was elected to the Lebanese parliament from Tripoli, bringing in 543 higher votes than the career politician and Lebanese Prime Minister for several times Rashid Karami . With continuous extensions of

4760-430: Was known as Law 522. The main cities and towns of the region are Halba , Tripoli , Miniyeh , Zgharta , Bcharreh , Amioun and Batroun . The districts of Akkar, Tripoli and Miniyeh-Danniyeh are known for their large Sunni Muslim population while the districts of Zgharta, Bcharreh, Koura and Batroun are known for their large Christian population. One of the best schools in Lebanon, International School - Al Koura,

4830-426: 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

4900-399: Was toppled in 2003 by the Western Coalition forces , al-Rafei returned to Lebanon with tacit agreement of the Syrian government and pro-Syrian political parties on certain political restrictions of no plans for relaunching of the Iraqi faction in Lebanon. After the assassination of former prime minister Rafic Hariri and the ensuing Cedar Revolution and the withdrawal of the Syrian forces,

#399600