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Tripoli is home to an astonishing number
of historical monuments and artifacts, some dating
as far back as the Late Bronze Age. Most of the two
hundred standing monuments were constructed during
the Mamluk period - from the 14th to the 17th
century AD - and include the Citadel, madrassahs
(theological schools), hammams (bath houses),
khans (caravansaries or caravan rest-houses),
souks (markets) and some of the most beautiful
mosques in Lebanon. Of these two hundred buildings,
forty-five have been listed as historical monuments,
but all are in dire need of preservation. Centuries
of erosion has worn away the façades and ornamental
carvings of many buildings. Further damage has been
caused by frequent flooding of the Abou Ali River,
which has swept through a number of the buildings,
weakening walls and carrying away valuable relics.
Finally, years of war has devastated the area; several
mosques have caved-in roofs and demolished minarets,
while others have been completely destroyed.
The first settlement at Tripoli dates back to the
14th century BC, but it was the Phoenicians
who established a small trading centre there in the
9th century BC. The city grew and became renowned
as an intellectual and artistic focal point. In 64
BC Pompey conquered Tripoli and the surrounding area.
Under the Romans the city flourished and a
number of monuments were erected. Rule of the city
changed hands for the next eight centuries, from the
Byzantines, to the Omayyads, to the
Fatimid Dynasty. The Crusaders marched
into the city in AD 1109 and established it as the
capital of the County of Tripoli for 180 years. The
Mamluks - a warrior caste who had risen to
power in Egypt and Syria - took control of Tripoli
in AD 1289 under the direction of Sultan Qalaoun.
The Sultan initiated a campaign of rebuilding, and
most of the superb monuments found today in the city
are from this period. The city's architectural wealth
was further enhanced during the long Turkish Ottoman
rule (1516-1918).
ARCHITECTURE
Tripoli is the second largest preserved Mamluk city
in the world. Overlooking the city is the mighty Citadel
of Saint-Gilles (Qal'at Sinkil). The Citadel is
one of the largest and oldest military fortresses
in Lebanon. Originally constructed by the Arab commander
Sufyan ben Mujib al Azdi in AD 636, it was later embellished
and renovated by a succession of rulers. The Fatimids
constructed an octagonal-shaped building inside the
fort that was later converted into a church by the
Crusaders. The Count of Toulouse, Raymond of Saint-Gilles,
enlarged the fortress in AD 1103. The Mamluk Sultan
Seyfedeen Asandamor Kourji further widened the fort
and converted it into a castle, adding towers to the
interior. The Ottoman Sultan Selim ben Selim commissioned
the construction of the northern tower that included
the Citadel's main gate. The citadel now contains four
floors and stretches 130 metres long and 70 metres wide.
A number of important buildings are located within its
two-metre wide walls, including a hammam, three
prayer halls, halls for commanders and high-ranking
officials, and graveyards. The walls encircling the
citadel are punctuated by ten gates, and the towers
are 15-20 metres high.
All of the historical monuments in Tripoli are magnificent
works of art in their own right. The domed mosques,
such as the Taynal Mosque, are exquisite in
their lavish ornamentation. Golden mosaics, elaborately
carved figures, gemstones and coloured marble decorate
the exteriors. The madrassahs, particularly the Al-Qartawiyat
Madrassah, are known for the fine workmanship
of their ceilings and their elegant façades.
Vaulted ceilings and graceful granite columns characterize
the souks while the traditional khan
is a two-storeyed structure with lofty arcades encircling
an open courtyard.
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