Tripoli travel guide

Travel warning: The British Foreign Office is advising against all travel to Libya following deadly clashes between colonel Gaddafi's government forces and protesters. Libyan airspace is currently closed to all traffic and all flights out of Libya are suspended. Remaining British nationals in Libya should leave as soon as they safely can.

Libyan capital Tripoli is a largely undiscovered gem, offering superb Roman history, a bustling medina and beautiful colonial architecture.

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.