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Al-Saraya al-Hamra
Al-Saraya al-Hamra, known as Tripoli Castle or Red Castle, was closed for renovations when we visited, but it should be a fascinating window on the past when it reopens. The castle represented the seat of power in Tripolitania until the 20th century and has evolved over the centuries into a citadel containing a labyrinth of courtyards, alleyways and houses. The total area of the castle is about 13,000 sq metres, including the area surrounded by high defensive walls now given over to the museum.
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Arch of Marcus Aurelius
This last remnant of the ancient Roman city of Oea was completed in AD 163-64. The Arch of Marcus Aurelius stood at the crossroads of the two great Roman roads of the city - the cardo maximus (running north to south) and decumanus (east to west).
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Draghut Mosque
The 6th-century Draghut Mosque bears the name of an infamous corsair admiral and governor of Tripoli. Its elegant pillars and arches (there are 15 in the main prayer hall alone with many more in adjoining rooms) are quite stunning. Things to look out for include the green-and-white calligraphic and arabesque relief inscriptions used sparingly against a white background.
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Green Square
Scour an old, pre-revolution map of Tripoli and you're likely to find yourself a little disoriented. That's because Green Square - the hub of central Tripoli where the medina meets the traffic-filled streets of modern Tripoli - was only carved out after the 1969 revolution. Until then, the square was about half of its current size and its northeastern boundary was the waterfront - in the 1970s, around 500m of land was reclaimed to ease chronic traffic congestion.
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Gurgi Mosque
The Gurgi Mosque, just west of the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, was built in the 19th century and was the last mosque built in Tripoli under the Turks. Although quite small, its interior is the most beautiful in the city. The main prayer hall contains imported marble pillars from Italy, ceramic tilework from Tunisia and intricate stone carvings from Morocco. The large, covered platform was reserved for VIPs.
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House of Yusuf Karamanli
Just south of the Roman Column Crossroads, the House of Yusuf Karamanli dates from the beginning of the 19th century and was the private residence of Tripoli's former ruler. Although this represents an extravagant example, it provides a window on the world of private houses that once hid behind the medina's high walls. The courtyard, with a fountain in the centre, is one of the loveliest in the medina and is surrounded by balconies.
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Jamahiriya Museum
Tripoli's Jamahiriya Museum houses one of the finest collections of classical art in the Mediterranean. Built in consultation with Unesco at enormous cost, it's extremely well designed and the 47 galleries provide a comprehensive overview of all periods of Libyan history, from the Neolithic period right up to the present day.
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Libyan Studies Centre
Dedicated to cataloguing the repression suffered by Libyans during Italian colonial rule, the Libyan Studies Centre has an impressive collection of 10,000 tapes of oral history and over 100,000 photographs. There's also a library and reading room, including thousands of books in English. It's off Sharia Sidi Munedir.
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Madrassat al-Founoun Wasana'a al-Islamiya
Madrassat al-Founoun Wasana'a al-Islamiya is worth visiting for two reasons. The first is that the beautifully arched façade conceals a delightful, expansive two-tiered courtyard which is rich in history. Originally built as a school during the Ottoman period, it was transformed into a prison from 1911 until 1942 by the Italians, who gathered Libyan deportees here before exiling them; many never returned, as suggested by the moving sculpture near the courtyard's western end.
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Masjed Jamal Abdel Nasser
If you haven't been in Tripoli for a few years, you'll be astounded by the transformation around Maidan al-Jezayir where the austere, neo-Romanesque former Catholic cathedral has been transformed into the supremely elegant Masjed Jamal Abdel Nasser. The conversion from church to mosque actually took place on 29 November 1970 in the days after the revolution, but the architectural work was not completed until 2003.
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National Library
Immediately east of the cathedral, the continuation of Sharia Mohammed Megharief leads to the domed National Library, which is very photogenic just before sunset. Built in the 1930s, it was the Royal Palace under the monarchy and the People's Palace immediately after the revolution.
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Old British Consulate
The Old British Consulate building, west of the Gurgi Mosque on Shari Hara Kbira, was first constructed in 1744 as a residence for Ahmed Pasha (the founder of the Karamanli dynasty) during the final phase of his reign (1711-45). From the second half of the 18th century until 1940, it was the office of the British consul. In addition to iplomatic representation, the consul's representatives used their position to launch expeditions into the Sahara with an eye on lucrative trade routes.
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Old French Consulate
The Old French Consulate, not far south of the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, dates from 1630 and is arrayed around a two-storey tiled courtyard with delightful arches, coloured windows and woodwork. Note in particular the crescent and a Star of David carved into the wooden doors above the staircase. The former consular offices, also on the 1st floor, have been restored and are a study in colonial elegance.
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Othman Pasha Mosque & Madrassa
Othman Pasha Mosque & Madrassa
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Planetarium
Tripoli's Planetarium, east along the waterfront off Sharia al-Corniche, would be a great place to study the stars over Libya before you head south into the star-gazing paradise of the Sahara, were it not for one thing: all presentations are in Arabic only. The 40-minute showings are by reservation only so if you're part of a group, they may let your guide interpret.
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San Francisco Church
San Francisco Church was built in the 1930s and offers services primarily for Libya's expat community. The sanctuary is quite simple, with a towering mural behind the altar. On the walls around the 1st-floor balcony are murals of the Twelve Stations of the Cross. Mass is conducted in English, French and Italian and mass times are usually posted on the door. It's off Sharia Khalid ibn al-Walid.
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Tripoli Zoo
One of the definite highlights is the surprisingly good Tripoli Zoo, which you'll find south of the city centre in the 200-hectare An-Nasr Forest. Most of the enclosures are spacious and reasonably well kept and include elephants, lions, tigers, reptiles, monkeys, gazelle and waddan, among others. We're not quite sure what the Persian cats are doing there, but as our guide pointed out, they're exotic for Libyans.
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