On sunday august 20, 2023, with two friends, we went on the road, direction Tripoli in Lebanon!
Just like any other adventures, this one started very early, way before sunshine in an isolated dark street. Nah, I'm just messing with you! Still tired of late revisions the day before, we decided to take our time this morning and our trip started around 10am in Colas, a busy crossroad in the south-east of Berouth where de buses and vans leave from direction anywhere in Lebanon (or close to). About two hours later, we arrived just for lunch in the biggest town of Lebanon, the one we call "Omm el fou2ara" (Mother of all poors) according to the taxi driver.
My project was to go down the streets of the town, without a map, maybe meet some local people whom could help to find our way and share their point of view about the situation in town. Therefore, it is with this idea that we started our "méchwar" (stroll) into the busy streets of the souk.
Losing ourselves through the streets and alleys, we went into a beautiful hammam from the Ottoman era built in the end of the XVIIe century and still working. Over there, a huge man of 1m90 (6'2) for 150 kg (330lbs) has proposed to me a massage that I politely refused...
Tripoli is also popular for its soap. So, We stopped into a shop that sold some in Khan el Saboun. It's there that we randomly ran into Marilyn, a Lebanese who had traveled with us in Jordania. She explained that she and some friends had rented a boat so they could go to the Palm Island (also called Rabbits' Island), an idyllic island a few kilometers to the north of Tripoli.
This new idea of visit in head and the goodbyes made, we kept going on with our méchwar (I hope you're not lost) direction the Great Mosque El Mansouri, The oldest Mosque of Lebanon. After a pause to contemplate the architectural structure, we went on our way toward the second recommended Mosque in town not far away from the first one.
In order to arrive, we had to go through a cemetery and when we stepped in, three to four men came toward us to warn us that there was shootings ongoing on our way. At first, we thought about people settling scores, but then they explained that it was just a ceremony for the funerals of a martyr, and the tradition wanted to shhot into the sky with a gun. My friends, worried (they were probably right), prefered to head back and go visit another place of this beautiful town.
Therefore, we decided to go to the citadel in town, know as the Saint-Gilles castle. This citadel as been built during the crusades, but I gotta admit that I didn't know much at this time. We discovered anyway that it was huge, had a church inside, a jail, a mosque, and some graves, probably some witnesses of different rulers who had taken control during history. The citadel being located in altitude, we had a great view on the town and from up there, I have to admit that I sometimes felt like I had been transported into Rio de Janeiro beacause of some districts looking like favelas.
After the visit of the castle, we used a tuk-tuk (light weight vehicule) direction El Mina, Tripoli's port. The travel, that cost 50 000 Lebanon pounds (less than 50 cents) for each ones of us which was amazing; we went throught the street of the old town and the most moderns districts at a good speed while the driver told us about the local situation.
I'll tell you more about El Mina when I'll tell you about our second visit in town!
Another marvelous thing in Tripoli is the Hallab ! I ate many candies and probably one of the best ice-cream that I had the chance to taste during my small life. The Lebanese brand Hallab is an oriental pastries know worldwide, founded in 1881 in Tripoli, in Lebanon. For more than 140 years, the brand got an amazing reputation for its tasteful pastries and desserts.
One important thing to know about Tripoli is the massive poverty. By doing some researches, I discovered that 36% of its population lives under the poverty line, and 60% of the younth has no job. As soon as we arrived, half a dozen of kids came toward us, most of them were Syrian, they started running behind us begging for money.
Altrough, despite the poverty, we could easly notice that the town was flourishing not long ago. The architecture and the remaining of public places remained beautiful, even though the dust recovered them.
There's a lot left to say about this town: El Mina, Abu Fadi, its past, its importance in the region, its population and its downfall…
But for now I'll let you wait with those few pictures... See you soon!
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My project was to go down the streets of the town, without a map, maybe meet some local people whom could help to find our way and share their point of view about the situation in town. Therefore, it is with this idea that we started our "méchwar" (stroll) into the busy streets of the souk.
Losing ourselves through the streets and alleys, we went into a beautiful hammam from the Ottoman era built in the end of the XVIIe century and still working. Over there, a huge man of 1m90 (6'2) for 150 kg (330lbs) has proposed to me a massage that I politely refused...
Tripoli is also popular for its soap. So, We stopped into a shop that sold some in Khan el Saboun. It's there that we randomly ran into Marilyn, a Lebanese who had traveled with us in Jordania. She explained that she and some friends had rented a boat so they could go to the Palm Island (also called Rabbits' Island), an idyllic island a few kilometers to the north of Tripoli.
This new idea of visit in head and the goodbyes made, we kept going on with our méchwar (I hope you're not lost) direction the Great Mosque El Mansouri, The oldest Mosque of Lebanon. After a pause to contemplate the architectural structure, we went on our way toward the second recommended Mosque in town not far away from the first one.
In order to arrive, we had to go through a cemetery and when we stepped in, three to four men came toward us to warn us that there was shootings ongoing on our way. At first, we thought about people settling scores, but then they explained that it was just a ceremony for the funerals of a martyr, and the tradition wanted to shhot into the sky with a gun. My friends, worried (they were probably right), prefered to head back and go visit another place of this beautiful town.
Therefore, we decided to go to the citadel in town, know as the Saint-Gilles castle. This citadel as been built during the crusades, but I gotta admit that I didn't know much at this time. We discovered anyway that it was huge, had a church inside, a jail, a mosque, and some graves, probably some witnesses of different rulers who had taken control during history. The citadel being located in altitude, we had a great view on the town and from up there, I have to admit that I sometimes felt like I had been transported into Rio de Janeiro beacause of some districts looking like favelas.
After the visit of the castle, we used a tuk-tuk (light weight vehicule) direction El Mina, Tripoli's port. The travel, that cost 50 000 Lebanon pounds (less than 50 cents) for each ones of us which was amazing; we went throught the street of the old town and the most moderns districts at a good speed while the driver told us about the local situation.
I'll tell you more about El Mina when I'll tell you about our second visit in town!
Another marvelous thing in Tripoli is the Hallab ! I ate many candies and probably one of the best ice-cream that I had the chance to taste during my small life. The Lebanese brand Hallab is an oriental pastries know worldwide, founded in 1881 in Tripoli, in Lebanon. For more than 140 years, the brand got an amazing reputation for its tasteful pastries and desserts.
One important thing to know about Tripoli is the massive poverty. By doing some researches, I discovered that 36% of its population lives under the poverty line, and 60% of the younth has no job. As soon as we arrived, half a dozen of kids came toward us, most of them were Syrian, they started running behind us begging for money.
Altrough, despite the poverty, we could easly notice that the town was flourishing not long ago. The architecture and the remaining of public places remained beautiful, even though the dust recovered them.
There's a lot left to say about this town: El Mina, Abu Fadi, its past, its importance in the region, its population and its downfall…
But for now I'll let you wait with those few pictures... See you soon!
