Site description

 Satellite View

A group of three flat, rocky islands of eroded limestone pavement (rising to 12 m), c.5.5 km offshore and northwest of Tripoli, together with their surrounding seas. Palm island  is the largest (20 ha), and a central depression where rainwater accumulates in winter. Parts of the islands are flooded with sea water during storms. There is some stunted garrigue-type vegetation in clefts in the limestone but the islands are otherwise relatively bare, except in spring and in summer when carpeted in wildflowers. 

The islands are only visited by the management team of the Reserve and the researchers since April 1997. The Palm Islands Protected Area contains various relics of past human occupation and activities. These include the remains of a church (from the Crusade time, approximately 1224 AD), an old salina (from early the twentieth century) and a freshwater well on Palm island. 

The Ramkin Island

The smallest among all islands, with an area covering 1.6 hectares, situated on the north western side of the Palm Island. It is also of a rocky nature and its maximum altitude reaches 12 meters. Several other remnants were discovered on the island, namely, a lighthouse, in addition to a cannon and underground tunnels built in the early 1900s.

 
Recently, and after several discussions with the Ministry of Transport, a new lighthouse operating on solar energy was built on top of the old one. The island was inaugurated and visitors were allowed into the site during the period extending from July to September 1999. Also found on the eastern side of the Ramkeen Island is a set of asymmetric staircases carved in rocks, and worn down and damaged by erosion. 
The island is characterized by a lighthouse consisting of a ground floor and a three-storey tower, which was used in the early 1900s by ships heading towards the port of Tripoli. Up until the early 1970s, the lighthouse was operated on diesel before temporarily shutting down during the civil war. In 1998, the Ministry of Transport refurbished the lighthouse and installed solar energy blocks on the roof of the first floor and consequently resumed its operations.
However, the edifice of the lighthouse remains old, run down and deserted, with eroded staircases, especially the iron stairways leading to the top floor, which are at high risk of falling apart.

 

  
Ramkin Island mostly rocky and rises to about 12 meters above sea level. The island contains the remains of a lighthouse in addition to cannon emplacements and underground galleries that were built early this century. A solar powered navigation light has now been installed in the tower of the old lighthouse

 

 

 

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