Tripoli (Trablous) Sights

  1. Al-Muallaq Mosque

    Al-Muallaq Mosque is a small, 14th-century mosque that gets its name from its unusual position upstairs on the second floor of the building. It has a simple interior and leads down to a courtyard garden.

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  2. Burtasiya Mosque and Madrassa

    The Burtasiya Mosque and Madrassa is situated by the river, across the street from the eastern entrance to the Khan al-Khayyatin (Tailors' Market). Built by the Kurdish prince Sharafeddin Issa ben Omar al-Burtasi in 1315, its square, towerlike minaret and black-and-white stonework are particularly fine. Inside, the intricately decorated and inlaid mihrab makes the visit worthwhile. Look for the mosaic in its half-dome.

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  3. Great Mosque

    Built on the remains of a 12th century Crusader cathedral dedicated to St Mary of the Tower, construction of the Great Mosque , known as Jami al-Kabir in Arabic, begun in 1294 after the cathedral was destroyed by the Mamluks. Completed in 1315, probable traces of the 700-year-old structure can still be seen in the mosque's attractive northern entrance, while the distinctive square minaret may once have been the original cathedral's bell tower.

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  4. Taynal Mosque

    Taynal Mosque is one of the most outstanding examples of Islamic religious architecture in Tripoli. Built in 1336 by Sayf ed-Din Taynal on the ruins of an earlier Carmelite church, it still has a partially preserved Carmelite nave in the first prayer hall. Other recycled elements, including two rows of Egyptian granite columns topped with late-Roman capitals, were taken from an earlier monument.

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