The Grand Hotel Tripoli, also known as ''Funduq-Al-Kabir Hotel'' in Arabic, is a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

on El-Fatah Street in

Tripoli, Libya Tripoli (; ar, طرابلس الغرب, translit= Ṭarābulus al-Gharb , translation=Western Tripoli) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Libya, with a population of about 1.1 million people in 2019. It is located in the northwe ...

Data

The modern hotel was built in 1982 and designed by the British firm of Wakeman Trower & Partners Ltd. It replaced the smaller historic hotel originally built by the Italians in 1927 in " Neomoresco style", and that was also called ''Grand Hotel Tripoli'', which was heavily damaged by bombings in 1942 and was demolished after

WW2 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. After the February 17th Civil war, the grand hotel now remains abandoned and closed as of 2018. The Original hotel stands in an extensive open park which overlooks the then unfilled Tripoli harbor, not far from the Algerian embassy and Tripoli Cathedral - Jamal Abdul Nasser Mosque. It has 350 rooms. It is noted for its many arches, inspired by the original building's facade, which form the basis of the structure. The hotel once had a propaganda poster on the outside of the hotel that showed a crying child superimposed above a montage of the wreckage caused by the attack by the British.

Historic importance

The Original Grand Hotel of Tripoli, dating back to as early as 1920, appears to be included within a photo taken with Italian General

Italo Gariboldi Italo Gariboldi (20 April 1879 – 3 February 1970) was an Italian senior officer in the Royal Army (''Regio Esercito'') before and during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by German dictator Adolf Hitler for his ...

welcoming Erwin Rommel and

Johannes Streich Johannes Streich (16 April 1891 – 20 August 1977) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 5th Light Division during the early stages of the North African Campaign. Sacked for his poor performance during the ...

on February 12, 1941. Erwin Rommel was selected by

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

to lead the newly formed

Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...

divisions in the fight against British forces in North Africa. Two days later, his troops arrived in Tripoli. Several days later, his troops staged a parade in the 'Suq-Al-Khubsa' plaza, now known as Martyrs square where he multiplied the number of his forces by ordering his tanks and infantry to circle the square multiple times, to boost morale and falsify numbers to any British spies. Erwin Rommel with his

and with the Italian Army then expelled the British 8th Army out of Libya, and eventually led his forces into

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

during the North Africa campaign that lasted for 3 years earning him the famed title "The Desert Fox".

References

External links

the "Grand Hotel" in Italian Tripoli
Hotels in Tripoli, Libya Hotel buildings completed in 1982 Defunct hotels {{Libya-struct-stub