Once called Saint Thomas Island, the iconic Abdel Wahab Island in Tripoli has reopened following a restoration that celebrates centuries of history and culture.
Situated just off the coast of Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli, a tiny patch of land known as Abdel Wahab Island holds a surprising amount of history and culture.
Currently covering only 600 square metres, Abdel Wahab Island is named after the Abdel Wahab family, who historically leased it for Ottoman shipbuilding and repairs. It was also locally known as Cow Island (Al Bakkar) because of the manatees, or dugong ‘sea cows’, that once inhabited the surrounding waters.
In addition, the island is notable for its Crusader history, an ancient royal wedding, the Mamluk invasion of 1289, and Ottoman shipbuilding.
In recent years, though, it has fallen into neglect, with the site left to deteriorate and accumulate trash.
However, as of 18 August, efforts to revive the island gained momentum when the French heritage association Patrimoine Tripoli Liban, in collaboration with Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport, officially reopened Abdel Wahab Island and unveiled a new restoration and rehabilitation project.
So far, the team has restored the bridge connecting the island to the mainland. Originally built in 2015, it had fallen into disrepair due to neglect.
They have also repaired footpaths, planted native plants, and plan to carry out conservation work on the remains of the Crusader-era Saint Thomas Monastery.
“You can’t imagine the state of the island when we first came to it; the rubbish we found in the sea and on the sand was immense,” Patrimoine Tripoli Liban President Joumana Chahal Timery told The New Arab. “It took about 15 days alone to clean it, and that’s with it being such a small island. We wanted to restore it and to make something beautiful out of it again.”
“The bridge was also in need of repairs. It had been left as it is for years, and it was very dangerous. A lot of the concrete was crumbling and needed reinforcing to make it usable once more,” she added. “We are working with the municipality to keep it clean now. The public would often come and do little picnics or swim here, but not look after it, so this needs to change, and have people or a company responsible for keeping the island safe.”
‘We want to preserve what we can’
The initiative aims to maintain the island and reconnect it to the local community, making it accessible while supporting ecotourism. The main goal is now to establish a safeguarding strategy for visitors while protecting and preserving the natural environment.
Since 2024, Patrimoine Tripoli Liban has focused on maritime heritage, shipbuilding arts, and fishing nets as part of its activities celebrating Tripoli’s designation as the 2024 Arab Capital of Culture.
Interestingly, the island was once a habitat for endangered sea turtles, seabirds, and fish, but in recent years, its decline has led to reduced animal activity. The restoration initiative aims to reverse this reality through proper care.
Reflecting on its earlier history, Joumana shared that the island was known as Saint Thomas Island, named after the Crusader monastery built there in the 13th century. In 1289, Crusaders fled to the island for refuge when the Mamluk Empire invaded the city.
“There was the royal wedding of [Cypriot Queen-Consort] Alice of Champagne to Prince Bohemund of Antioch here in the monastery in 1224,” Joumana said. “Then, there was a huge battle, and some of them swam, some took boats – because the coast was much further away in history, it became close when the land was reclaimed – and their children lived on the island for a while.”
“We will have to do some assessments to see what can be done with the remains of the monastery, because it’s in a state of ruin,” she added. “We will look at options, maybe it will be incorporated into a modern building, rather than a full restoration to how it was, because I don’t think that is possible, but we want to preserve what we can.”
Focus on action, not words
The opening night served to highlight the island, while also acting as a fundraising gala and concert. The event raised funds for the restoration of another 13th-century Mamluk heritage house, Dar Fatima, located next to the goldsmiths’ market in the heart of Tripoli’s old souks.
The evening also demonstrated potential uses for the island. The open-air concert, along with sound and lighting installations, was designed to highlight the island’s silhouette and natural setting. In the future, the island could host pop-up cultural events.
“Dar Fatima is a stunning old house with all the characteristics of Mamluk houses in Tripoli – very decorative, with different coloured stone stripes, a fountain in the middle, and vaulted ceilings,” Joumana said. “With the funds, we will restore it completely and transform it into a cultural and social community space. There will also be calligraphy workshops, because this area is very rich in traditional Arabic calligraphy heritage.”
As it stands, both the island and the house are projects that give back to the Tripoli community, creating public spaces and cultural hotspots that the city currently lacks.
As initiatives like Patrimoine Tripoli Liban diversify Tripoli’s offerings, there is hope that both domestic and international tourism will bring much-needed income in a sustainable way, while celebrating the city’s vibrant history, cuisine, and culture.
“The government’s goal is to achieve balanced development across all Lebanese regions, especially in the North, which possesses significant potential and capabilities for growth,” Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny said at the opening. “With this development, job opportunities increase and people’s living conditions improve, and this is precisely the government’s goal: to focus on real action rather than just words.”
Maghie Ghali is a British-Lebanese journalist based in Beirut. She worked for The Daily Star Lebanon and writes as a freelancer for several publications, including The National, Al Arabiya English, Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye, on arts and culture/design, environment and humanitarian topics
