Tripoli Things to Do

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The 19th century Ottoman Clock Tower is one of the most impressive landmarks in the Medina. It is sparkling white, as it has just been repainted. It is a typical Turkish design and very similar to the Dolmabahce Clock Tower in Istanbul. Coincidentally, there is yet another similar Ottoman clock tower in the centre of Tripoli in Lebanon.

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This attractive house, with a central courtyard, was originally built in 1630. It was used as the French Consulate until 1946. It has been recently restored and opened to the public. The consul's room contains period furniture and there is a so-so view of the harbour from the rooftop terrace. What makes it worth visiting is the craftsmanship in the tiles, stained glass windows, wooden doors and balustrades.

Admission 2 LD + 2 LD for camera

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Ahmed Pasha Karamanli Mosque is the largest and grandest of the 38 mosques in the Medina. It was built in 1711 by the founder of the Karamanli dynasty and Governor of Tripoli. It has a twenty-five domed roof built over a sanctuary, which is decorated with very beautiful stucco work. In a separate room lie the tombs of Ahmad Pasha and his family. The mosque has an octagonal, Turkish style minaret.

It is difficult to get a picture of the whole mosque, without using a wide-angle lens, as the building is so large and surrounded on all sides by the narrow streets of the souq.

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One of the most interesting of the many small souqs in the Medina is Souq al-Ghizdara, where you can see coppersmiths at work making, amongst other things, the copper crescents that surmount the minarets of mosques. It is just one narrow street, so it only takes a minute to walk the length of the souq.

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The former British Consulate, also known as Dar Adb al Khaliq al Nuwayji. was originally built in 1744 as a residence for Ahmad al Karamanli, the ruler of Tripoli. He donated it as the British Consulate, and it continued to serve that function until 1940. Since the 1990s it has housed a scientific library.

Many of the great trans-Saharan expeditions set off from here, including that of Gordon Laing who, in 1826, embarked on a 13-month camel trek across the Sahara to become the first white man to reach Timbuktou. Just before leaving the Consulate, Laing hastily married the British Consul's beautiful daughter, Emma. She followed his slow progress across the desert by means of mail sent back via camel caravans. But, unfortunately, on the return journey from Timbuktou he was murdered before he could reach her, so their marriage was never consummated.

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If the city had not continued to grow, the Roman ruins of Tripoli would possibly rival those of Leptis Magna and Sabratha. But, when the Arabs occupied the city, they dismantled most of the Roman structures and built their Medina on top of them, incorporating Roman columns and stones in the new buildings. The best example of this is the Four Roman Columns Crossroads in the centre of the Medina.

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Tripoli's National Jamahiriya Museum houses the best collection of classical art in North Africa. There are nearly fifty galleries, covering an area of 10,000 sq metres, spread over four levels. Exhibits range from prehistoric axes to Colonel Gadaffi's VW Beetle. The main emphasis, however, is on sculptures and mosaics from the classical Roman and Greek eras. There are also scale models of Leptis Magna and Sabratha, which are interesting if you are planning to visit those places. Most of the exhibits are labelled in Arabic only though.

Open Tues-Sun 9am-1pm, 3pm-6pm. Admission 3 LD + 5LD for camera.

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The triumphal arch of Marcus Aurelius is Tripoli's most impressive ancient monument. It stands at the intersection of the Cardo and Decumanus and, therefore, marks the exact centre of the Roman city.

It was built in 163 AD and dedicated to the joint emperors, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. At various times in its history, it has been incorporated in a Roman forum, a storehouse, stables, a shop, a public house and a cinema. One reason why it may have been left intact by the Arabs when all other significant Roman structures were destroyed is that it is said a protective curse had been placed on it which would result in the death of anyone who damaged it. Nowadays, it stands splendidly isolated, and it is free to visit. Around its base are some blocks from a Roman temple, which presumably was not covered by the curse.

Marcus Aurelius, who was the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors, ruled from 161 AD until his death in 180 AD, including a spell jointly with his adopted brother Lucius Verus from 161 to 169 AD. If you wonder what they looked like, you can see their marble busts in Gallery 9 of the National Jamahirya Museum.