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Tartus |
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City Guide:
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Roughly 90 km from Homs, 251 km from Damascus, 105 km from
Hama, and 90 km from Latakia, Tartous, a small harbor city of 150,000 inhabitants, will be
one of your favorite places for a stay on the coast. You will certainly not resist the
charm of its small walled city, built by the Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries,
where the old Frank cathedral has been converted into a museum. From there you will go
along the coast to the enigmatic Phoenician monuments of Amrit, about 10 km away. You will
take a boat to go to the island of Arwad, or you will go to discover the castle of Safita
or the semitic sanctuary of Baetocece, today known by the name of Hosn
Suleiman, up in the mountains. Tartous,
the old colony of Aradus (the kingdom on Arwad Island), under the name of
Antaradus, was
converted early to Christianity and became a center of pilgrimage due to a miraculous icon
of the Virgin. In 1102, the Franks made it one of their sturdiest strongholds between the
principality of Antioch and the county of Tripoli, as well as a bishopric. It resisted
more than one attempt at re-conquest by the Muslims, and the Templars' taking charge of
its defense in 1183 made it an almost impregnable citadel. It finally fell to Sultan
Qalaoon in 1291. Still protected by its 12th century wall, the Episcopalians city along the sea front is certainly the most attractive quarter of old Tartous. You will visit the Cathedral, a superb monument of Gothic style of the late 12th and early 13th centuries, built on the site of a Byzantine church which had been for a long time a very famous place of pilgrimage. There, in fact, stood the altar and icon of the Virgin that had miraculously survived the terrible earthquake in 387 and were covered by a small chapel. The door giving access to this primitive chapel and through which the pilgrims entered is said to have been preserved by the Frankish architects when they built the cathedral. It must have been located on the stone cube on which the central pillar of the left colonnade (inside the cathedral) sits. The cathedral has been turned into a museum with various antiques, whether Syro-Phoenician from Ras Shamra or Amrit, Roman, Byzantine, Frank, or Muslim. There is also a scale model of the Krak des Chevaliers (Qalat al-Hosn), and ethnographic collections. Do not miss going up on the terraced roof in order to feel the atmosphere of this peaceful quarter. Defenses of the Episcopal city were reinforced by the "Fortress of the Knights Templar," built at an angle to the wall at the end of the 12th century and early in the 13th. This citadel, formerly isolated by a moat, is accessible through a large tower erected with large, well-hewn stone blocks. A tortuous passage will take you to the first wall, more than three meters thick, pierced with large loopholes for war engines. A second wall constituted a last obstacle before the redoubt of the castle, a large hall where the meetings of the Order took place: a high-ceiling chapel and the keep at the edge of the sea, but today in ruins. This huge bastion allowed the Grand Master of the Temple and his knights to push back Salah al-Din's attacks in 1188. Casemates connected to a gate opening on the sea at the water level enabled Christian ships to supply the defenders of this tower. From this gate, the Knights jumped to their boats to go and seek refuge in Cyprus when the fortress was taken by Qalaoon. Tartous is the second most important Syrian seaport, located on the Mediterranean 90 km south of Latakia. It was called Antaradus by the Phoenicians and Tortusa by the Byzantine. Tortusa was to become one of the main supply ports for the Crusaders and a military base of considerable importance. It was held by the Knights Templar during the Crusades. The arches, wall-towers, and narrow lanes in Tartous evoke what the town must have been like in medieval times. A jewel of Romanesque art is the cathedral of Tartous, which is now a museum containing relics from various Syrian civilizations. From: Afif Bahnassi, "Guide to Syria," published by the Avicenne Bookshop, Damascus, January 1993. "Syria," published by the Ministry of Tourism of the Syrian Arab Republic, September 1989.
The Greatest period in the history of Antaradus, as a Phoenician port on the mainland, annexed to the active island base of Aradus ( Presently isle of Arwad), took place in Byzantine times. The name gradually changed into Tortosa. Crowds of Christians used to come here on pilgrimage to pray in the chapel which was said to have been dedicated to the Virgin Mary by Saint Peter, When the Father of the Apostles was on his way from Jerusalem to Antioch. An icon was placed here, so they say, by Saint Luke the Evangelist, The same icon that the convent of Sydnaya today claims to posses. Muslim, then Byzantine again around the year 1000, Tartosa was to become one of the main supply ports for the Crusades and a military based of considerable importance, held by the templars. In 1188, Saladin re-conquered the town, but could not capture the keep, surrounded as it was by a board ditch, equipped with advanced engines of war and defended by the best knights of the order. The few remains of the medieval fortress and its double wall are lost in the midst of the present day town and little is left to stir the imagination. The town itself, however, with its tiny streets and narrow passageways, does convey something of the atmosphere of the medieval city. While the square foundations of several towers are to be seen on the sea front a pointed ~arch gate~ way at the north entrance of the town and some fragments of arises and some sculptured consoles are on one side of a square that correspond to the great hall where the chapter of the templars gathered. Not very much in view of the past importance of Tartosa. The interior is in marked contrast. The medieval rigor is now relaxed. The high central cave divides into hour pointed vaults. The side –aisles with their rib-vaults follow the same patter the stone-work of the three apses in done with the greatest care. The Mediterranean light streams in through the triple window in the façade and through the choir windows on to dedicate pink stone. The Capitals are an imitation of the Corinthian type, but with great variety in the leaf patterns. Broad curling leaves croquets opening out into graceful eglantines, central rosettes with something a small human head in their place. ArwadThis is the only island in Syria, located 3 km off-shore from Tartous.It was an independent kingdom named Aradus in the days of the Canaanites. It was often mentioned in inscriptions because of its importance in commerce and seafaring.
From the fishing harbor of Tartous, fishing boats offer a regular service, increased on Fridays, to the island of Arwad, called Arvad by Phoenicians or Aradus by the Greeks and Romans, 3 km off-shore. The journey takes about 30 minutes. Well-entrenched in their island, the Arvadites, of Canaanean origin, had good relations with Tyre and Egypt, created numerous small colonies on the shore between Amrit and Djebleh, and opened trade routes towards the valleys of the rivers Orontes and Euphrates. Its masters included all those who dominated Syria, from Assyrians to Alexander the Great. The Arvadites took part in the battle of Salamine (480 B.C.) in the fleet of Xerxes against the Greeks. They were always able to withdraw in time and keep a certain amount of autonomy. In fact, they really declined only when Syria was annexed by Rome, in 64 B.C. The island was reputed for the works of Phidias and Praxiteles that it is said to have possessed. Saint Paul, in journeying to Rome, is said to have enjoyed a stop at Aradus to admire pagan statues. The Crusaders fortified it again and were its masters until 1302. An excursion to Arwad will mean an agreeable and very restful walk, as this island is no more than a rocky shelf, 800 m long by 500 m wide. A long wall was built on the edge of the island, entirely surrounding it, except on the harbor side. Only some parts of this wall remain today. You will enjoy a leisurely walk in the village with its very narrow streets,. It lies at the foot of a crenellated castle probably dating from the 13th century. Another castle, Arab this time, was built at the top of the jetty separating the two docks. From: "Syria," published by the Ministry of Tourism of the Syrian Arab Republic, September 1989. Afif Bahnassi, "Guide to Syria," published by the Avicenne Bookshop, Damascus, January 1993. Al-KadmousOne of the most wonderful areas of summering, it is characterized by beautiful nature and charming places. Al Kadmous Castle is a historical one, built on a natural rock at the top of hill about 1000 meters above sea level, unknown exactly when it was built at this beautiful place but it belongs to a very old time. It can be entered by only sole gate from the east, this gate is very difficult to reach except by means of ladders. This castle is far about 30 km to the east of Banyas. Draykish A lovely town 29 km from Tartus, situated on a mountain covered with olive trees and overlooks the sea. It has a reputation for its well –known mineral water. It has several hotels and camping sites. Safita 10 km south of Drakysh 35 km east of Tartus and 380 m above sea level Safita is surrounded by hills covered with olive trees and flowers on all sides. The present –day town with its tilted roofs stands on the side of a fortress that was called Castle le Blanc by the Crusaders. One of its huge towers about 28 meters high is still standing, this tower contains a chapel where the Syrian Christians still hold their services in it.
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