Continuing my journey north along the coast, I arrived in Tripoli, Lebanon’s second city. Tripoli was much less damaged during the civil war than Beirut and cities further south. But the city has continued to be troubled since the end of the war, with repeated outbreaks of violence. Tripoli is an overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim city, with Christian and Alawite minorities. The repeated clashes have mostly involved the Sunni and Alawite communities, especially in two neighbouring districts of the city. The Alawites had long been marginalised and oppressed under Sunni Ottoman rule, but their position was much strengthened during the French mandate in Lebanon. During the civil war, Tripoli’s Alawites aligned with the Syrian occupiers, and fought with them against the Sunni Tawheed militia. Clashes erupted again in 2008 and in 2011, with the onset of the war in neighbouring Syria. As the Alawite-dominated Assad regime in Syria, supported by Shia Iran and the Shia Hezbollah militia from Lebanon, fought insurgencies by groups mainly drawn from Syria’s Sunni majority, there were fears that Syria’s war might spill over into Lebanon.
Fears about Tripoli’s security have left their mark on the city. Few tourists visit. My host, a local journalist, told me that the Alawite district had been disarmed by the army, and that it was now fully under control. Indeed, I felt quite relaxed as I walked around the city. An election campaign was in full swing. Huge posters of Sunni leaders, including one of the Saudi Crown Prince, looked down on a small square on the edge of the medieval souks. After Friday prayers, a demonstration set off from the Mansouri Great Mosque. Strictly segregated between men and niqab-wearing women, their black banners with white calligraphy looked disturbingly like those of the so-called Islamic State. My host assured me that, while conservative, this group was non-violent and nothing to do with IS.
Like most towns in Lebanon, Tripoli has a rich history, with different rulers all leaving their mark. Crusaders ruled here for nearly 200 years in the 12th and 13th centuries. They built the huge Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles on a hill dominating the old town. It has been rebuilt more than once since then, and above the main entrance is an engraving from the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, who ordered its restoration in the 16th century. The medieval Souks date from the decades after Tripoli’s conquest by the Egyptian Mamluks in 1289. Like many middle eastern Souks, they are a warren of narrow streets, crowded with little shops, market sellers and eateries. Navigating was difficult. The Souks are rather shabby, and in places dilapidated, but atmospheric. But wandering the alleyways, I would suddenly find myself walking below vaulted ceilings or past the entrances of medieval mosques or madrassas.
Most impressive is the Mansouri Mosque. Built by the Mamluks, its entrance and minaret are thought to be remnants of the earlier cathedral the Crusaders had built on the site. The minaret may have been the bell tower. Stepping through the entrance, out of the bustle of the Souks, you enter the peace of a large courtyard, with a domed fountain in the middle, where worshipers wash their feet before praying. There are several khans in the Souks area. Most interesting is the 16th century Khan as-Saboun, the Soap Khan. From the 18th century, Tripoli became known for its high-quality soap production, the centre of which was here.
Not far from the Souks is a district built during the later Ottoman period. At its centre is the clock tower, which has been renovated with Turkish help in 1992 and again in 2016. Around the square and in the streets fanning out from it are tall 19th century buildings, with ornate balconies.
One of the most beautiful buildings in Tripoli is the 14th century Taynal Mosque, a little distance away from the city centre. Built on the site of an earlier Carmelite church, it preserves part of the nave in the outer prayer hall. Recycled Egyptian columns topped by Roman capitals are incorporated into the structure. The ornate entrance to the main prayer hall, with its alternating black and white stones, typical of Tripoli, and geometric patterns, is particularly lovely.
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