The high walls
The city out to the sea.
Amalmc — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Peripitus — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0 · Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0 · Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0
The Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles is a 12th-century fortress on a hill above the old city of Tripoli, Lebanon's second-largest city. Its walls look over the souks, minarets and sea. It is the best place to begin a visit to Tripoli, showing you the layout of the old city and its long history before you go down into the lanes. It was built on the orders of Raymond de Saint-Gilles during the Frankish siege of the city between 1102 and 1109, and he called it the Castle of Mount Pilgrim. Little of the original structure survives, as it was rebuilt several times, most extensively by the Ottoman governor of Tripoli, Mustafa Agha Barbar, in the early 19th century. It now houses the North Lebanon and Akkar Museum. You pass through heavy stone gateways into courtyards and tall passages, vaulted rooms and stairs climbing to the walls. The golden sandstone shows layers from different periods. From the top of the wall the city stretches to the sea, while on the other side the Abu Ali River runs through its narrow valley. It is about 200 m in a straight line from the Mansouri Great Mosque, so you can walk down to the souks, and Tripoli is about 81 km from Beirut. Sources give daily hours of 10:00 to 18:00, so check before you go. Wear comfortable shoes for the smooth stone. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to parts of Tripoli, so check the guidance before you go.
The city out to the sea.
Layers from different eras.
A heavy way into the fort.
Hill above the old city, Tripoli, northern Lebanon
Mansouri Great MosqueThe Mansouri Great Mosque is the most important Mamluk-era monument in Tripoli, 3 minutes walk
Taynal MosqueThe Taynal Mosque is among Tripoli's finest and most important mosques after the8 minutes walk
Rachid Karami International FairThe Rachid Karami International Fair is a concrete architectural complex by the 20 minutes walkYes. The Mansouri Mosque and the souks are a few minutes' walk from the foot of the hill.
An hour is usually enough, a little more if you visit the museum.