Historic Ottoman-era theater reopens doors in Tripoli

A historic Ottoman-era theater in the old city of Tripoli, the capital of Libya, reopened on Sunday with a modern look as the Libya National Children's Theater.

The theater, reconstructed by the Turkish aid agency TIKA, was closed for many years, Libyan Culture Minister Mebruke Tugi told Anadolu.

"I can say that (this theater) is one of the fruits of the memorandum of understanding we signed with the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry and TIKA's efforts," said Tugi.

The theater was first built in the early 1900s by the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, said Ali Suha Bacanakgil, TIKA's Tripoli coordinator.

"Unfortunately, it had become unusable and derelict over the years," he said, adding that the theater was revamped in six months.