Tripoli is the quiet, relaxed capital of Libya. Known in Roman times as Oea, it was part of the fertile and wealthy Tripolitania - the province of three cities, the others being Sabratha and Leptis Magna.

After the seventh-century Arab conquest, the city became known as Tripoli, or Tarabulus in Arabic. The Arabs, their successors the Ottomans and, more recently, the Italians all opted to build gleaming white architecture, which has earned the city its nickname, the ‘White Bride of the Mediterranean.'

Since UN-imposed sanctions against Libya were lifted in 2004, Tripoli has become an increasingly popular destination, but there are as yet surprisingly few tourist facilities.

The Jamahiriya Museum has superb Roman mosaics and the city's atmospheric medina, with its labyrinthine alleys and Ottoman monuments, retains much of its traditional character.

The elegant, colonial downtown area was built by the Italians, and is very much the place where locals work, shop and eat, although most people live in the sprawling modern developments away from the city centre.

The city comes alive for a few hours around sunset when families stroll along the seafront or on Green Square, or go for drive - this is the time you will find traffic jams. By 2300 most of the city is very quiet again.