Discover the city of Tripoli, capital and economic hub of Lybia
Tripoli is the capital and largest city of Libya, with a population of about 1.1 million people in 2022. It is located in the northwest of Libya on the edge of the desert, on a point of rocky land projecting into the Mediterranean Sea and forming a bay. The city of Tripoli houses the port of Tripoli and the country's largest commercial and manufacturing center. It is also the site of the University of Tripoli. The vast Bab al-Azizia barracks, which includes the former family estate of Muammar Gaddafi, is also located in the city. Colonel Gaddafi largely ruled the country from his residence in this barracks.
Tripoli was founded in the 7th century BC by the Phoenicians, who gave it the Libyco-Berber name ‘Oyat” before passing into the hands of the Greek rulers of Cyrenaica. Due to the city's long history, there are many sites of archeological significance in Tripoli.
In the Arab World, Tripoli is also known as Tripoli-of-the-West, to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon, known in Arabic as Ṭarābulus al-Sham, meaning 'Levantine Tripoli'. It is affectionately called "Arusat al-Bahr; meaning ‘’The Mermaid of the Mediterranean" or 'bride of the sea', describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings.
Tripoli is one of the main hubs of Libya's economy along with Misrata. It is the leading center of banking, finance and communication in the country and is one of the leading commercial and manufacturing cities in Libya. Many of the country's largest corporations locate their headquarters and home offices in Tripoli as well as the majority of international companies.
Major manufactured goods include processed food, textiles, construction materials, clothing and tobacco products. Since the lifting of sanctions against Libya in 1999 and again in 2003, Tripoli has seen a rise in foreign investment as well as an increase in tourism. Increased traffic has also been recorded in the city's port as well as Libya's main international airport, Tripoli International.
The city's old town, the Medina, is still unspoiled by mass-tourism, though it was increasingly exposed to more and more visitors from abroad, following the lifting of the UN embargo in 2003. However, the walled Medina retains much of its serene old-world ambiance. Three gates provided access to the old town: Bab Zanata in the west, Bab Hawara in the southeast and Bab Al-Bahr in the north wall. The city walls are still standing and can be climbed for good views of the city. The bazaar is also known for its traditional ware; fine jewelry and clothes can be found in the local markets.
Tourism in Libya is an industry heavily hit by the Libyan Civil War. Before the war tourism was developing, with 149,000 tourists visiting Libya in 2004, rising to 180,000 in 2007. The country is best known for its ancient Greek and Roman ruins and Sahara desert landscapes.
Tourism in Libya is not very developed due to the continuous political changes that have taken place in the country, the military conflicts, the lack of security, the theological reasons linked to traditionalist neo-fundamentalism, the difficulty in obtaining tourist visas, the lack of infrastructures, protection of archaeological areas, lack of competent human resources, insufficient budget and no action plans.
The United Nations international embargo, which has been recently lifted, has been a major deterrent for tourists. It has resulted in delays in tourism development and made it difficult for tourists, who have instead had to travel through an arduous, physically exhausting way into and out of the country through the Tunisia-Libya land border. International tourism into Libya has suffered due to the instability caused by the Libyan Civil War.
Libyan cuisine is generally simple, and is very similar to Sahara cuisine with several Ottoman/Turkish and Italian influences. In many undeveloped areas and small towns, restaurants may be nonexistent, and food stores may be the only source to obtain food products. Some common Libyan foods include couscous, bazeen, which is a type of unsweetened cake, and shurba, which is soup. Libyan restaurants may serve international cuisine, or may serve simpler fare such as lamb, chicken, vegetable stew, potatoes and macaroni. Alcohol consumption is illegal in the entire country.
There are four main ingredients of traditional Libyan food: olives, palm dates, grains and milk. Grains are roasted, ground, sieved and used for making bread, cakes, soups and bazeen. Dates are harvested, dried and can be eaten as they are, made into syrup or slightly fried and eaten with bsisa and milk.
A lot of economic and infrastructural development has been taking place in Tripoli in recovery from civil war, and this has seen Tripoli being placed amongst fastest developing economies Africa. Generally, Tripoli is an exciting city and trust me you'll want to find yourself there, sooner or later.
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