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| Tripoli |
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Source:
American Colony:
Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. |
Tripoli, El Mina,
Port of Tripoli
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Tripoli was probably founded about 700 B.C., but it has no continuous history.
The Seleucidan prince, Demetrius I., erected a palace here, which was succeeded
by splendid edifices erected by the Romans, but owing to frequent and
destructive earthquakes few traces of the ancient city remain. The Muslims
occupied the town at the time of the Islamic invasion, but the Crusaders failed
to capture it until five years after their arrival at Antioch in 1104. When the
Christian army finally took the city, a valuable library of one hundred thousand
volumes was destroyed . . . .In 1289, when the city was destroyed by the Sultan
Kilawūn, it was said to have contained four thousand looms for the weaving of
silk, and the zinnār Tarābulusy, or Tripoli silk girdle, is famous even to the
present day. The Arabs call the city Tarābulus, the Arabic form of Tripoli. The
Turks usually speak of it as "Kochuk Sham" (Little Damascus), and it is well
worthy of the name. (Source:
Picturesque Palestine, vol. 3, pp. 13-14.) |
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Tripoli and el Mina from Castle |
Source:
American Colony:
Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. |
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It stands on the eastern extremity of the
triangular plain, a mile wide, at the base of
the elevated plateau called El Kūra, from one
hundred to three hundred feet high, which
reaches to the foot of the Lebanon range . . .
. The roaring Kadīsha, called by the Muslims
Abū Ali, runs through the city, crossed by two
stone bridges, besides the new bridge of a
tramway farther down the stream. On the right
bank, the houses on the hill are chiefly rough
structures of the Maronite fellahīn; those
below, between the river and the Bab Tibbaneh,
being Muslim. The Christian quarter is on the
left side of the river, and stretching far to
the southern Blacksmith's Gate is the populous
Muslim quarter. The population consists of
twelve thousand Muslims, four thousand Greek
Christians, five hundred Maronites, and a few
Protestants, Papal Greeks, and Jews. These
sects live in distinct quarters, and the
different trades of the city, as in Damascus,
occupy separate streets. (Source:
Picturesque Palestine, vol. 3, p. 14.) |
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Source:
Picturesque Palestine, vol. 3, p.
9. |
The Castle of Tripoli, A
Stronghold of the Crusaders |
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Among the objects of interest is the
well-preserved castle of Raymond of Toulouse,
recently transformed by Midhat Pasha into an
imperial penitentiary . . . .It was either
built or greatly enlarged by Raymond, and was
a stronghold of the Crusaders for one hundred
and eighty years during the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries. Before its conversion
into a prison, access could be obtained to the
charming view from the top of its walls. On
the east you look down into the river gorge,
with its roaring waters, the Mullawīyeh
Convent, and the orange groves, with snowy
Lebanon in the background piercing the clouds
. . . .On the west, the verdant plain, the
blue sea in the distance, its shore broken by
the Mīna, or marine city, and the five old
towers along the northern beach, while the
snow-white roofs, walls, domes, and minarets
of the city form the foreground at your feet.
From a residence of several years in Tripoli,
I can testify to the ever-changing beauty of
its scenery, the lusciousness of its fruits,
as well as the courtesy and hospitality of the
better portion of its people. (Source:
Picturesque Palestine, vol. 3, pp. 15-16.) |
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Convent of the Mullawiyeh, or Dancing
Dervishes, Tripoli |
Source:
Picturesque Palestine, vol. 3, p. 8. |
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Passing beyond the castle, and descending
rapidly into the gorge of the river, you walk
for a few minutes among trees and flowers and
murmuring waters to the convent of the
Mullawīyeh dervishes, who perform their sacred
dances every Friday afternoon, at certain
seasons of the year. I have seen it crowded
with men below and women above behind the
latticed screen, when eight or ten of the
dervishes whirled in the literally giddy mazes
of the dance for two hours, until the
performers fell on the floor exhausted, and
the audience retired. This charming spot is a
favourite resort of the Tripolitans, and in
the month of April, when the orange and lemon
groves below and around are in full bloom, and
the air filled with the delicious fragrance,
this quiet retreat is a place one never
wearies of visiting . . . (Source:
Picturesque Palestine, vol. 3, pp. 16-18.) |
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Tripoli, Tower of Lions |
Source:
American Colony:
Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. |
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Between the mouth of the Kadīsha, on the
northern shore, and El Mīna, are several fine
towers of cut stone, standing like sentinels
along the shore. They are called Burj Ras en
Neb'a, Burj es Seb'a (Lion's Tower), Burj et
Takīyeh (Traveller's Rest), Burj el Mugharibeh
(Algerines), and Burj esh Sheikh Affān. These
are evidently medięval structures, and were
built on foundations made up of ancient
granite columns and fragments of Greek and
Roman edifices. They are now being rapidly
razed, to supply stone for more modern
structures. El Mīna . . . has a population of
seven thousand, chiefly Greek fishermen and
sponge-divers, who obtain an ample livelihood
from their laborious and perilous profession,
the sponge crop amounting to £ 20,000 a year.
The steel-tracked tramway from Tripoli passes
down the broad level road between the gardens
to the Mīna gate, and thence to the seashore.
(Source:
Picturesque Palestine, vol. 3, p.
18.) |
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See
Baalbek,
Beirut,
Sidon,
or
Tyre |
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