The Elegance of Zimmit Hotel in Tripoli's Old City

Photo credit to Hiba Shalabi, Photographer 

Tripoli has been an important city in North Africa due to its location which was the connecting route between east and west of the Arabian lands and between Europe and Africa for a long a time. As I once described the Old City of Tripoli "it is a city inside of a city" because you feel that you are transported into another era, to the beautiful old days. One of the things that made the old city more special was the high number of hotels that you can find in it. It has a total of 50 hotels that belong to the first Ottoman period and Al-Karmanali period (in the 17th and 18th century). Hotels of Tripoli are similar in design and construction even if they were different in the activities they perform. In this article, I will shed light on one of the most famous hotels in the Old City that is still open to this day.

 Zimmit Al-Daffairi Hotel

It is one of the most famous hotels in the old city and it still works until this day. It is located in Bab Al-Bahar ward, specifically, in front of Marcus Arch and next to Gurgi Mosque. It was constructed by Mr. Ahmed Al-Daffairi in 1831. He was considered one of the well-known businessmen at that time. In the colonial period by the Italians, the ownership was transferred to Mr. Zimmit, the general writer for Mr. Ahmed Al-Daffairi and this is how the hotel got its current name. Since it was constructed, it was mainly used for hosting travelers and businessmen.

The hotel has a giant frontage that is similar to that of Bin Zikri Hotel. The front has a big wooden door. There is a marble board by the outer door that has welcoming words for the coming guests. Also, it was used for storing goods that came from Sudan, for example, ostrich feathers and leather and dates, etc. At some point, the hotel was rented to an anonymous Jewish man whom he turned it into storage to collect pigeons and Henna to sell them. The hotel was also used by a Libyan Band that was created by Jabir Tikbali and a number of young Libyans (Lamin Gniwa, Mohamed Abd Arrahman Gniwa, Alhassairi, and A;-Na'agi). They used to perform in it from 1958 until 1988. After that, it was used by Libyan fishermen.

To conclude, hotels are considered important economic and historical landmarks. Each hotel represents an architectural pattern that reflects the historical period it was built in. these hotels were used economically to store goods from many locations. From the social aspect, the hotel managed to connect people of the same country with each other and Tripoli’s businessmen, also, with people from neighboring countries. In this connecting method has helped introduce and accept many different cultures and traditions. Let's not forget the architectural beauty that expresses the elegance and class even if some have disappeared now but the small details can show how beautiful they were in that time. 

Photo Credits go to Hiba Shalabi, a Libyan Photographer and Artist.