Tripoli << TRIHP uh lee >> is the capital and largest city of Libya. It has a population of about 1 million. Its Arabic name is Tarabulus. Tripoli lies in northern Libya, along the Mediterranean Sea.
Tripoli has a fine harbor and is a shipping center. It is also a trading center for a farming region. Tripoli’s industries include oil refining, food processing, and the production of such handicrafts as woven carpets and leather goods. The old city center of Tripoli is surrounded by stone walls. It features a Roman arch that dates from the A.D. 100’s and a palace and garden built during the 1500’s. Since the 1970’s, many modern high-rise buildings have been constructed in the city.
Tripoli was founded by Phoenicians, probably in the 600’s B.C. It was originally called Oea. It was later renamed Tripoli, meaning Three Cities. The name refers to the ancient district of Tripoli, which included three cities—Oea, Leptis Magna (now Lebda), and Sabratha. From the mid-1500’s to 1911, Tripoli was part of the Ottoman Empire—which was centered in what is now Turkey—and the capital of the surrounding province of Tripolitania. But the local rulers in Tripoli had almost complete freedom during much of the period. Attacks by Barbary corsairs (sea raiders) of North Africa on U.S. shipping led to a war between the United States and Tripoli in 1801. Italy conquered Tripoli in 1911 and ruled it until World War II (1939-1945).
In 2011, a rebellion erupted against the rule of Libyan leader Mu’ammar Muhammad al-Qadhāfī. The Libyan military responded by attacking rebel strongholds, killing thousands. The United Nations (UN) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) intervened to protect civilians. UN and NATO air strikes against Libyan government buildings damaged parts of Tripoli. As rebel forces took control of the country, Qadhāfī went into hiding and was later killed.
See also Barbary States; Jefferson, Thomas (War with Tripoli).
