At one time, Tripoli was the center of a confederation of Phoenician city-states - Tyre, Sidon, and Arados - thus the name 'Tripoli,' which means 'triple city.' Today Tripoli is Lebanon's second-largest city as well as its second-largest port, behind Beirut in both respects.
Tripoli has been controlled at various times in history by Persians, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, and more, but the Crusaders' control of the area may be the most famous. Just east of the city is the Krak des Chevaliers, the 'fortress of the knights,' headquarters for the Knights Hospitallers during the Crusades. An earlier fortress built by the ruler of Aleppo stood here originally, but after the Crusaders captured it the Hospitallers launched a construction project which expanded it and made it the biggest fortress in the Holy Land. It's outer wall is 30 meters thick and the walls around the guard towers are up to 10 meters thick.
