Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli


World Heritage Identification Number: 1702

World Heritage since: 2023

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: Yes

Country: 🇱🇧 Lebanon

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Arab States

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The Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli: A Unique Blend of Modern Architecture and Cultural Exchange

The Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and architectural prowess of Lebanon. Located in the heart of Tripoli, the city's largest metropolis in the north, this iconic structure was designed by the renowned Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer, in 1962.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Located in northern Lebanon, the Rachid Karameh International Fair of Tripoli was designed in 1962 by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer on a 70-hectare site located between the historic centre of Tripoli and the Al Mina port. The main building of the fair consists of a huge covered hall in the shape of a boomerang of 750 metres by 70 metres, a flexible space for countries to install exhibitions. The fair was the flagship project of Lebanon's modernization policy in the 1960s. The close collaboration between Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of the project, and Lebanese engineers gave rise to a remarkable example of exchange between different continents. In terms of scale and wealth of formal expression, it is one of the major representative works of 20th century modern architecture in the Arab Near East.

Encyclopedia Record: Tripoli, Lebanon

Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in the country. Situated 81 km (50 mi) north of the capital Beirut, it is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Tripoli overlooks the eastern Mediterranean Sea, and it is the northernmost seaport in Lebanon. The city is predominantly inhabited by Sunni Muslims, with smaller populations of Alawites and Christians, including Maronites and Armenians among others.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 72 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: 34.4377777778 , 35.8241666667

Image

Image of Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli

© Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 Resized from original.

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Byblos
39 km — Lebanon
Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din
56 km — Syrian Arab Republic
Baalbek
59 km — Lebanon
Anjar
79 km — Lebanon
Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)
105 km — Lebanon

Country Information: Lebanon

Flag of Lebanon

Official Name: Lebanese Republic

Capital: Beirut

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 5,805,962

Population (2023): 5,773,493

Population (2022): 5,744,489

Land Area: 10,230 sq km

Currency: Lebanese pound (LBP)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Tripoli, Lebanon, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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