Lebanon Tripoli: Trip-tic (3)

We are in Tripoli, the center of Lebanon's Northern Province and the country's second largest city. These are the places called Damascus Towns (Biladü'ş-Şam-bilad-i Şam) by the Ottoman Empire. On the border with northern Lebanon. Across Cyprus, the city that remained under Roman, Phoenician, Umayyad, Abbasid, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman rule for a long time is known as Tripoli in Greek. It was founded by the Phoenicians in 7 thousand BC. In fact, it got this name from the fact that it was founded by the merger of three cities (tyrepolis).
The Phoenicians were a mixture of the Semitic race and those who came from the sea; The name they gave to the region, Kinahna, is therefore also called the Canaanites. Because of the purple color they produced, they were called the Phoenicians, meaning those who produced purple colored fabrics, which were very expensive in the Greeks period. In other words, if we say that they laid the foundations of the Latin letters we use to say that their influence still continues, that Europe (Europa) is the daughter of Agenor, the king of Tyre, and that the words book (biblion/bible-Bible and library (bibliothek) are derived from the city of Byblos), the situation is a little bit. becomes clear.
Oh, did you say that he started his history lesson again, I would like to take refuge in your indulgence by saying "travel-comment" in these articles, but I hope you will excuse me when you remember that the places we call Biladusşam start from the southern Taurus and correspond to the lands of Syria, Iraq, Palestine and Jordan. The name of the capital of Syria is Damascus, Damascus, Palestine, Lebanese lands. It was called Tripoli, so that it would not be confused with Traplus in Libya. It is known as Sur (Tyre-Tiros) in the south of Lebanon. There is the Palestinian Refugee Camp Reşidiye here, I think its name comes from Sultan Reşad, behind it are the Golan Heights occupied by Israel. The city of Haifa is also a bird flight. These are the places we will visit tomorrow with the main lines.
Tripoli It was conquered in the time of Osman, and Muaviye Persians (Iranians) and Jews settled in this city. Tolunoğulları (878/264), a Turkish state after the Abbasid period, came here. At that time, there was a port here to receive many ships. Later (358/969) Byzantines came and destroyed the city, and two years later it came under the influence of Fatimids. In the city, which is generally Sunni, the Shiite population started to increase. Starting from 456, Turks, especially Yıva Turkmens, came to the region.
In 502/1109, the Crusaders came and plundered everything. Although the efforts of the Ayyubids and Mamluk Sultan Baybars I to seize the city did not yield results, their successors took it in 688. The fact that 9 madrasas and many mosques and inns were built in the city shows the importance they attach to culture, worship and trade. If we remember that Kurtbay, the commander of the Mamluk State, handed over this city to Yavuz Sultan Selim in 1516, we can say that the Turkish influence in the region from the Tolunoğulları continued until 1918.
As I said, Tripoli remained under the rule of Phoenicians, Persians, Romans, Umayyads, Fatimids, Crusaders and Mamluks. If I don't ask which states are defending the Islamic world against the Mongol and Crusader attacks here, I will explode. If I speak for the region, of course, the Mamluk State called itself ed-Devletü't-Türkiyye.
A little historical information would be good here. Sultan Baybars (el-Melikü'z-Zahir Rüknüddin es-Salihi -al-Bundukdari, d.6761277), who was the head of the Mamluk/Kölemen state, is a Kipchak Turk. It is also known that he was sold as a slave to the Ayyubids, rose rapidly and became the head of state, fought selflessly against the Crusaders and Mongols, helped the Turkish principalities in Anatolia in this context, established good relations with the Golden Horde State, and was sometimes good and sometimes tense with the Ottoman state. And a question; Which other states were fighting against the Crusaders, for example the Arab and Persian states? Now you say it too.
Most of the works in Tripoli were made during the Mamluks period, and later additions were made during the Ottoman period. From the moment I read that Sheikh Bedreddin, whom I worked on for my master's thesis, came to Egypt for science (1988), I have always been interested in the management of the Mamluk State. The fact that he opened his doors to scholars escaping from the persecution of the Mongols and Crusaders and gave them significant support, establishing 160 madrasas in Damascus, 75 madrasas in Cairo, and 9 madrasas in Tripoli shows this. As you know, he was the first to use the adjective "Hadimu'l-Haremeyn".

Turks in the Region

It is also important that it tries to increase the number of Turkmens by placing them in many parts of Syria. In order to ensure the safety of the pilgrimage route, the same policy continued during the Ottoman period and Turkish tribes were placed in strategic places. Returning to my Sheikh Bedreddin in the context of the cultural contributions of the Egyptian-based Mamluk administration, I always ask myself what would the development of the Ottoman Empire look like if Musa Çelebi had been successful in the interregnum period.
Another point is this: The scholars who grew up in the madrasahs of Iznik, Bursa and Istanbul went to Egypt, Samarkand and Bukhara to specialize, then returned, or the students trained by academics such as Kadızade Rumi (for example, Ali Kuşçu) went to Istanbul. I think it is extremely important in terms of showing the cultural continuity of Atayurt and Motherland.
No, don't say I won't read more, I'm going back to Gezi-interpretation, please don't say enough is enough, but this is the situation, for example, the Vice President and Foreign Minister who went to the region after the Beirut explosion, saying that we will give Turkish citizenship to those of Turkish origin should also be considered in this context. For example, we always hear about the Bekaa valley through the PKK, but I have never heard of the Baalbek Turkmen. However, they lived in 5 small settlements around the city of Baalbek. In addition to the Turkmen living in a village on the Syrian border, there were also those who came from the Syrian civil war and settled in Akkar and Baalbek. The old name of Kuvaşra was nomad. Those called Dinniye Turkmens were in the Northern Province in the place called by their name.
Zahir said that a tradesman he introduced while visiting the bazaar in Tripoli was waiting for Turkish citizenship to be approved. These were families who came from Anatolia during the Ottoman period, mostly in Tripoli and Akkar, and settled in the region, and they were gentry families who were privileged by the Ottomans in local government.
In addition to these, they said that there were Turks living in Tripoli and brought to Syria and Lebanon after the Crete Island came under Greek domination from the Ottoman Empire and the attacks on Cretan Muslims increased. There are also Turkish citizens living in Lebanon, most of whom are from Mardin. You come and Mary from Mardin greets you at the hotel reception in Beirut in the morning.

Tripoli Castle and Mevlevi Lodge

And let's leave the comment section and go back to the trip, I understand that you will stop reading. First, we go up to Tripoli Castle, a work of Ottoman period.
Just below the castle, the Ottoman Mevlevihane shines brightly, and Tika has it restored. The castle is Ottoman architecture, but historically known as Raymond Saint Gilles, we visited the state that was completely burned in 1289, was built many times, and was built by the last Ottoman governor. We walked around the city walls and saw all around the city.
This place has been extremely important commercially and politically for thousands of years. They became rich by trading in goods such as olive oil, wine, timber, glass, cloth, copper and tin ingots, painted ceramic pots, gold and silver jewelry, and papyrus. In the words of Katip Çelebi, “Every year, a thousand ships come from seven different climates. Ships come, especially from the English, Dutch and France, that each of them is filled to the brim with cotton, olives, olive oil and soap, foodstuffs and silks in six months.
We immediately go to Sabun Han, where Zahir Bey, who studied in Turkey and has a doctorate in pharmacy, gives us information. Then we pass to the place known as al-Câmiu'l-Mansûrî / and the Great Mosque (al-Câmiu'l-kebir) (693/1294), a wonderful work of Mamluk State. It is closed, but here is the benefit of being an Ottoman grandson. Zahir Bey is looking for Uncle Muhammed Ali Çelebi for the key of the mosque. Please pay attention to the surname, he is 93 years old, he is a graduate of ITU mechanical engineering, we visit the mosque of the Umayyad period, he tells us in beautiful Turkish.
Tel City Square, the clock tower and Hamidi Mosque, which was the heart of city life in the Ottoman period, is a gift from Sultan Abdulhamid II. prof. Dr. Khaled Tedmuri gives detailed information. If I say that the Mamluk State and the Ottoman administration have found 725 years here, the historical and cultural foundations of the city will become clear.

We know the good food

Light rain is falling, and it's about to get dark already. From there, we go to a restaurant by the sea under the guidance of Zahir. Since there were not many travelers/tourists, I think they were pleased with the 30-person convoy. They serve so great that all the tiredness of the day goes away. When we started to eat the ones brought as a side dish because we were very hungry, they said fish sauce, wait a little bit and asked to speed up the other pre-warms.
A mixture of hummus, babagannuş, eggplant paste with garlic yogurt, with a few drops of olive oil in the middle, oh miss. The name of the appetizer, which is a mixture of strained yogurt and mint, which we also have, is lebne. It's like a triangular pie, it has spinach in it, I asked its name, it was fatayer, and of course, I immediately lowered the so-called kibbe, like stuffed meatballs, into the body.
All kinds of fish fry started to arrive, followed by tea and fruit service. Afterwards, a friend said, “Mevlut Hodja, the table is full of different kinds of fish, if you don't mind, could you pass me the french fries on your table, is it good?” When he said that, the people burst out laughing, I was a little confused. I mean, what am I, I have nothing to do with fish, I tried to say french fries and sauces, but it was really weird. On the way back to Beirut, everyone sneaked out on the bus.
It has been almost 36 hours since Istanbul airport, with a few intermittent hours of sleep, since I left Çorum. Other trip-comments will be about Bekaa Valley, Baalbek, Ayn'ül-Car. Let's stay safe.