Tripoli is the capital of Libya. It has also been known as the White Bride of the Mediterranean. The oil boom of the Middle East has touched Tripoli, taking away some of its ancient charm, but its mosques, narrow streets, and open-air markets have allowed Tripoli to retain some of its Old World feel.

Accommodations

Tripoli is an expensive city to visit. The nicer hotels will cost in the range of $200 per night for a stay, based on the current exchange rates. For those who want to visit Libya on a minimum budget, there are youth hostels for under $10 per night.

When the ban of alcohol was put in place, many restaurants ended up closing their doors. Therefore, there is actually a virtual shortage of restaurants in Tripoli. There is usually a long wait to get a table at any restaurant, especially the business areas of the city. For a more local dining experience, visitors will want to go to the old town area, where the quality of the food is comparable to the best restaurants, the price of the meal is much less expensive, and ambience is nicer.

Sights

The beautiful mosques are the main tourist attraction in Tripoli. The Gurgi Mosque receives the most tourist traffic of all the city’s mosques. It was built in 1833, with nine columns that hold up sixteen small domes. The oldest mosque in the city is the Naqa Mosque, built in 1610. It is commonly known as the camel mosque, based on a story about an Arab conqueror who was offered camels as an offering by the people of Libya, in return for a peaceful existence. The conqueror refused the camels but asked for a mosque to be built instead. The most beautiful mosque in the city is arguably the Karamanli Mosque, which was built in the early 18th century and has a twenty-five dome roof.

The most dominant structure in Tripoli, however, is the Red Castle, formally known as Assai al-Hamra. This structure, which is near the Karamanli Mosque, features courtyards, houses, and alleyways that cover over 140,000 square foot piece of land.

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