Tripoli << TRIHP uh lee >> is Lebanon’s second largest city. Only Beirut has more people. Tripoli’s name in Arabic is Tarabulus. A seaport and industrial center, Tripoli lies on Lebanon’s northwest coast, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. The city’s chief industries include trade; tourism and other services; petroleum refining; the manufacture of furniture, soap, and textiles; and sponge fishing. Citrus fruits are grown in and around Tripoli.
The Castle of St. Gilles, built by crusaders before A.D. 1200, overlooks the city. The Teylan Mosque, a Tripoli landmark built in the traditional Arab style, dates from 1336. Tripoli’s name, which means Three Cities, is related to its founding. Colonists from three Phoenician cities—Aradus, Sidon, and Tyre—founded the city in the 300’s B.C.
