Tripoli

This airticle is aboot the caipital o Libie. For ither uises, see Tripoli (disambiguation).

Tripoli (Arabic: طرابلس‎ Ṭarābulus pronunciation - an aa طرابلس الغرب Ṭarā-bu-lus al-Gharb^[2] Libian vernacular: Ṭrābləs pronunciation ; derived frae "Τρίπολη"; the Greek wird for "three ceeties" in Greek: Τρίπολις Tripolis) is the lairgest ceety an caipital o Libie.

Tripoli طرابلس الغرب Tarabulus al-Gharb
Ceety
Top:: That El Emad Touers; Middle: Martyrs' Square; Bottom left: Marcus Aurelius Airch; Bottom richt: Souq al-Mushir – Tripoli Medina
Tripoli Location in Libie
Coordinates: 32°54′8″N 13°11′9″E
Kintra	Libie
Region	Tripolitanie
Destrict	Tripoli
First settled	7t century BC (as Oea)
Foondit bi	Phoenicies
Area
• Total	400 km2 (200 sq mi)
Elevation	81 m (266 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	1.8 million
• Density	4500/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
Area code(s)	21

The Tripoli metropolitan aurie (destrict aurie) haes a population o 1,065,405 (2006 census). The ceety is locatit in the northwast o the kintra on the edge o the desert, on a point o rocky land projectin intae the Mediterranean Sea an formin a bay. Tripoli wis foondit in the 7t century BC bi the Phoenicians, who named it Oea.^[3]

Tripoli is the lairgest ceety, the principal sea port, an the lairgest commercial an manufacturin centre in Libie. It is an aa the site o Al-Fateh University. Due tae the ceety's lang history, thare are mony sites o airchaeological significance in Tripoli. The climate is typical Mediterranean, wi hot, dry simmers, cuil winters an some modest rainfaw.

"Tripoli" mey an aa refer tae the shabiyah (top-level admeenistrative diveesion in the current Libian seestem), Tripoli Destrict, kent as the Tarabulus Destrict an aw.

Geography

Satellite image o Tripoli's dountoun aurie

Tripoli lies at the wastren extremity o Libie close tae the Tunisian border, on the continent o Africae. Ower a thoosan kilometres separates Tripoli frae Libie's seicont lairgest ceety, Benghazi. Coastal oases alternate wi sandy auries an lagoons alang the shores o Tripolitanie for mair nor 300 kilometres (190 mi).

Till 2007, the "Sha'biyah" includit the Ceety, its suburbs an their immediate surroondins. In aulder admeenistrative seestems an throughoot history, thare existit a Province ("muhafazah"), State ("wilayah") or Ceety-state wi a hintle lairger aurie (though no constant bundaries), which is sometimes mistakenly referred tae as Tripoli but mair appropriately shoud be cried Tripolitanie.

As a sha'biyah, Tripoli borders the follaein sha'biyat:

• Al Murgub – east
• Al Jabal al Gharbi – sooth
• Al Jfara – soothwast
• Az Zawiyah – wast

Main sichts

Emhemmed Elmgharief Street in central Tripoli haes some o the best examples o Italianate colonial airchitectur in Tripoli.

Red Castle an entrance tae National Museum

The ceety's auld toun, the Medina, is still unspoiled bi mass-tourism, though it is increasingly being exposed tae mair an mair visitors frae abroad, follaein the liftin o the UN embargo in 2003. Housomeivver, the wawed Medina retains muckle o its serene auld-warld ambiance. The Red Castle Museum (Assaraya al-Hamra), a vast palace complex wi numerous courtyards, dominates the ceety skyline an is locatit on the ootskirts o the Medina. Thare are some classical statues an funtains frae the Ottoman period scattered aroond the castle.

Three gates providit access tae the auld toun: Bab Zanata in the wast, Bab Hawara in the sootheast an Bab Al-Bahr in the north wall. The ceety walls are still staundin an can be climbed for guid views o the ceety. The Bazaar is an aa kent for its traditional ware; fine jewelery an clothes can be foond in the local mercats.

Thare are a nummer o biggins that wur constructit bi the Italian colonial rulers an later demolished unner Gaddafi. They includit the Ryal Miramare Theatre^[4] next tae the Red Castle an Tripoli Railway Central Station.^[5]

Sports

Fitbaa (soccer) is the maist popular sport in the Libian caipital. Tripoli is hame o the maist prominent fitbaa clubs in Libie, Al Madina, Al Ahly (Tripoli) an Al Ittihad.

Ither sports clubs based in Tripoli include Al Wahda an Addahra.

The ceety an aa played host tae the Italian Super Cup in 2002, a match in which Juventus (Italian Serie A champion haulder) defeatit Parma (Coppa Italia haulder) 2–1.

Sister ceeties

• Bogotá, Colombie
• Algiers, Algerie
• Beirut, Lebanon
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil, syne 2003
• İzmir, Turkey
• Madrid, Spain
• Sarajevo, Bosnie an Herzegovinae, syne 1976
• Dubai, Unitit Arab Emirates

Transport

Tripoli International Airport is the lairgest airport in Tripoli an Libie. Tripoli is the interim destination o a railway frae Sirt unner construction in 2007.