Tripoli is the capital of Libya, the North African country on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Tripoli is Libya’s largest city and its main political, economic, and cultural center. It lies in the country’s northwest, close to the Tunisian border and on the Mediterranean coast. The city’s name comes from the Greek expression meaning “three cities,” referring to the ancient regional grouping of Oea, Sabratha, and Leptis Magna; Tripoli itself developed from the ancient settlement of Oea.
The city has been influenced by Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Ottoman, and Italian rule. Important historic landmarks include the Red Castle, or Assaraya al-Hamra, and the Gurgi Mosque in the old city. Tripoli became the capital of independent Libya in 1951.
A common mix-up is Tripoli in Lebanon, which is the country’s second-largest city but not its capital. Lebanon’s capital is Beirut. The Tripoli in this question is the Libyan capital, located in the country’s northwest.