Dictionary of islamic architecture

See also:
Istanbul, Ottomans
Further reading:
F.Davis, 
The Palace of Topkapi in Istanbul,
New York 1971.
B.Miller, 
Beyond the Sublime Porte; The Grand Seraglio of
Stamboul,
New York 1970.
toron
West African term for projecting wooden stakes used in
mud-brick architecture especially in minarets.
The preferred material is acacia wood although
split palm is sometimes also used. It is generally
agreed that toron have a practical purpose as fixed
scaffolding for mud-brick structures which need
constant maintenance, although they may also
have a symbolic and aesthetic function. Symboli-
cally the use of projecting wooden branches relates
the structure to a tree which in West African
tradition is a symbol of renewal and rebirth, an
idea strengthened by the fact that toron are
primarily associated with religious structures.
Aestheti-cally toron may be compared to the horns
used in hunting towers (as in e.g. Manara Umm al-
Qaroun in Iraq, or the Hiran Manar at Fatehpur
Sikri).
toron

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See also:
Manding, West Africa
Tripoli (Lebanon)
Tripoli is located on the north coast of Lebanon and in the
medieval period was the principal port.
Tripoli has a long history of settlement although it
first became a city in 358 BCE under the Phoeni-cians.
The city was captured by the Muslim Arabs in the
early seventh century CE and became a flourishing
Arab seaport until 1109, when it was captured by
the Crusaders. For nearly 200 years Tripoli was one
of the principal Crusader ports and was one of the
last Crusader cities to be recaptured by the Muslims.
The city was finally retaken in 1289 and an ambitious
programme of reconstruction was initiated. The
Mamluk city was built on a new site slightly inland
from the Crusader city. Tripoli flourished during this
period with a series of nine mosques, sixteen
madrassas and five khans constructed before the
Ottoman conquest of the sixteenth century. The
principal mosque of the city (the Great Mosque) was
built in 1294 and includes a Crusader tower which
was converted into a minaret. The city remains one
of the best examples of Mamluk planning and
architecture outside Egypt.