Café al Tal al Oulya

Tal, the area around the Sultan Abdulhamid Clocktower, near the Nawfal Palace dating back to 1898 and the public park in front, which used to be the Palace garden, is Tripoli’s busy transit hub.

The nearby Café Al Tal Al Oulya is a veritable oasis to escape the hustle and bustle. One way to reach it is to head eastwards (in the direction of the municipality) and walk up a long stairway decorated with colourful murals. At the top is a mosque and following the walkway to the left, you will soon see the entrance to the café (again to your left).

Big, old mulberry trees provide shade and green and there is plenty of space for all ages. In the far corner there are slides and swings and other activities for children to enjoy, while their parents can sit close by.

The atmosphere is very laid back and the café mostly frequented by locals. On Saturday mornings, many women come with their children and meet their friends and together have lunch (kebab) and shisha.

It’s a perfect spot to have a cold lemonade in summer or a tea with peppermint and some grilled meat, to read a book, to write or just observe the surroundings.

Back in the days, in the 1960s and before the war irrevocably changed Lebanon, many Tripolians would come to the café on warm summer nights to watch movies open air…

If you’re heading to the Souks after this, go straight and head down the stairs as you leave the café. Once you’ve reached the bottom, cross the street and take the first side road to the right. From there on, you should be able to see the second hand clothes market. At the end of it, you’ll reach Mansouriye Mosque (the Great Mosque) and the entrance of the renovated Gold Souk.