TRIPOLIS

city and commercial centre of the central Peloponnese, Greece, and the capital and only large town of the noms (department) of Arcadia. It is situated 2,175 feet (663 m) above sea level in the centre of the agricultural Tega basin at the foot of Mount Apno Khrpa (summit 5,115 feet ), a peak of the Manalon Range. Trpolis was founded in the 14th century AD as Drobolitza to replace the ancient cities of Pallantium, Tegea, and Mantineia. Called Trpolitza (Three Cities) and rebuilt in 1770, it became the seat of the Turkish pasha of the Morea. The city prospered until the War of Greek Independence, when it was first captured in 1821 by the Peloponnesian patriot Thedoros Kilokotrnis and then by Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt, who destroyed it during the general Ottoman retreat of 1828. The city was rebuilt after 1834. Trpolis is the seat of a metropolitan bishop of the Greek Orthodox church. Its industries produce carpets, dishware, woodwork, and wine, and the city trades in regional agricultural produce. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 21,772.