Travel in Latakia - Syria - Culture - WorldTravelGate.net®-

Known to the ancient world as Laodicea, Latakia has grown from a small fishing city to today's modern port. The city is the trading centre for the surrounding agricultural region and is also noted for tobacco, which is grown nearby. It is a leading seaport of the country and its chief exports are cotton, fruits, and tobacco - Latakia is the sea-gate to Syria. It is well provided with accommodation and is well placed as a base from which to explore the coastal regions of the country. There are beaches, mountains, archaeological sites and many relics of the Crusaders, all within a few hours from each other.

The port itself is said to date from about 400 B.C. and contains a ruin of the Temple of Bacchus and a triumphal archway. Its streets are wide and tree-lined, giving it an almost European ambience.

Not many ancient remains have survived in Latakia, but there are four columns and a Roman arch from the time of Septimus Severus (circa 200 A.D.), in addition to a beautiful Ottoman construction called 'Khan al-Dukhan', which is now a museum.

The earliest-known complete alphabet has been found here, written on well-preserved tablets and now on display in museums in Lattakia, Aleppo and Damascus, as well as in the Paris Louvre.

It provides a good base from which to visit the ruins of the ancient city of Ras Shamra, 16 km away. Known in ancient times as Ugarit, this was once a thriving centre for trade with Egypt, Greece and Mesopotamia. The French has excavated the stone-built city for the last fifty years and a variety of palaces, temples and houses have been unearthed.

A Bedouin woman on the way to the market.

The Syrian seashore is about 182 km long and its numerous beaches are distinguished by soft sand, unpolluted sea, moderate climate and clear blue skies. The Blue Beach of Latakia is the most popular beach on the Eastern Mediterranean. Water-skiing, jet skiing and windsurfing are popular activities in this resort town. Nearby are two hotels, the Cham Cote d'Azur Hotel and Lι Merdien Latakia Hotel.

Church of the Virgin is a Greek Orthodox Church, situated in the Souk, and it probably dates back to the Byzantine era. Inside there is a large marble iconostasis that dates back to the 18^th century, which was added to the simple structure. There is another chapel nearby with an icon of the Virgin. Church of St. Nicholas is another Greek Orthodox Church - that of St. Nicholas. This church also dates back to the Byzantine period. It has an interesting collection of icons and an ebony wood throne; all date back to the 17^thand 18^th centuries.