LATTAKIA , SYRIA

Lattakia was probably founded as a small Phoenician fishing village around 1000BC and prospered through the ages and rulers. In 63BC, the Roman leader, Pompey leading the Roman armies, renamed it Laodicea and this is what it is called in the Bible. Being a very strategic location, the history of this area and city is fascinating including the Assyrians, Persians, Alexander, the Great(Greek), Romans, early Christians, Queen Zenobia of Palmyra (271AD), Byzantines, Crusaders, Arabs and Ottomans.

Lattakia is the major port for the Syrian Arab Republic. The Syrian Arab Republic is bordered on the north by Turkey, on the east and southeast by Iraq, on the south and southwest by Jordan, on the southwest by Israel, and on the west by Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. Syria is at the heart of a region that has experienced intense political conflict since World War II. Since 1971, President Hafez el-Assad and now his son have been very enigmatic and controversial political figures in the Middle East who have brought stability to Syria so that is has been able to develop economically and achieve a level of regional influence.

Most Syrians are Arabs. Arabic is the first language of 85 to 90 percent of the population. The largest non-Arab groups are Turks and Kurds. About 90 percent of Syrians are Muslims, but they belong to several sects. Sunni Muslims make up some 75 percent of the population. Approximately 15 percent of Syrians belong to three splinter Shi'ite Muslim sects: the 'Alawites (12 percent), Druzes (3 percent), and Isma'ilis (less than 1 percent). The non-Muslim population is largely Christian and is concentrated in Damascus and Aleppo. Syria is also the home of 300,000 refugees, most of them Palestinians.

Try to get plenty of rest on the passage to Lattakia since we have a very full and interesting schedule here. On the afternoon of our arrival, there will be a half-day tour to the ruins of Ugarit and the fantastic Saladin’s Castle.

An interesting tour will be to the ruins of Ugarit, now known as “Ras Shamra”, 13 km north of town. It is an extensive “tell” 20 meters high, covering an area of 36 hectares, only 25% of which has been excavated. Archaeological layers confirm 5 periods of life, starting with the first (most recent) level from 1600 to 1200 BC, which was the high point of the development of the kingdom of Ugarit before its destruction by earthquake or the ravages of the Peoples of the Sea (the Philistines – probably Greek settlers). After this period, Ugarit lay undiscovered for 3000 years until accidentally found by a local farmer in 1928, and subsequently became a major archaeological find. The fifth level dates back to 7500 to 6000 BC, the Modern Stone Age, with Ugarit forming an important model for the first agricultural villages and the “civilization” of human groups. It was in Ugarit on the 15th century BC that the consonantal alphabet was invented (i.e. an alphabet where only consonants were indicated, with no vowels). All our Western written languages owe their existence to the Ugarthic alphabet through the Byblos, Greek and Roman alphabets.

On this tour, we will also visit Salah Eddin Citadel known as Saladin’s Castle, one of the most prestigious fortresses of Syria. Strategically located on a mountain spur at the junction of two ravines, this fortress was variously controlled by the Phoenicians, Byzantines, Crusaders, and finally by Saladin,a great Moslem soldier, who conquered it in 1188. Access to the castle was defended by a moat with walls 20 meters high on one side and over 50 meters on the other. The power and savage beauty of this location makes it a worthwhile trip.

There will be a two-day journey to the fabled ancient cities of Damascus (World Heritage Site-1979) and Palmyra (World Heritage Site-1980).

Damascus, located between the mountains and the Syrian Desert on a natural migration and trade route, claims to be the world’s oldest continually inhabited city, over 4000 years old. Its first historic reference is its conquest in the 15th century BC by Pharaoh Thutmosis III, and in the history of Abraham in the Old Testament Book of Genesis, chapters 14 and 15. It was the ancient capital of the Aramean kingdom in the 11th century BC, and underwent many cultural and religious conquests over the next three thousand years. It was on his way to Damascus that Saul, who was sent to put down the followers of Christ, was converted to become St Paul the Apostle preaching the new faith. The architectural remains, heathen temples, Christian basilicas, mosques, and the narrow streets and souks of the old city are to be savoured. In the very impressive Hamidiyeh Souk, which is filled with exquisite sights, smells and sounds, you will be greeted by the shopkeepers and are expected to bargain for everything.
The Mosque of the Umayyads (the Great Mosque) with its architecturally unique and awe-inspiring buildings and intricate mosaics which originally covered practically every surface, also contains the precious relic of the head of St. John the Baptist (there was a Byzantine church on the site before it became a mosque) Notice its three minarets and the Dome of the Eagle. The Madrassas (Koranic schools of theology) and the mausoleum of Saladin are located outside the grounds of the Mosque. We will also visit the Syrian National Museum with its extensive collection of artefacts covering Syria’s rich history..

Then 150 km NE of Damascus we visit the “Queen of the Desert”, Palmyra, an ancient trade route city subject to several incarnations, but never abandoned because of its location in a perpetually water-fed oasis. Its quadruple Great Colonnade flanks the main street for 1.6 km ending in a triumphal arch and temple. Taking over after the decline of Petra (in Jordan), it was a safe haven near the Mediterranean end of the trade route (which went from the Orient (from China), Northern India/Pakistan, across the Arabian Sea, up the Persian Gulf, across Iraq and the Syrian or Arabian Deserts to Palmyra and into the Med.) until its destruction in 745 AD. This was the capital of the famous Queen Xenobia in the 2nd century, who valiantly led her armies against the Romans and conquered much of the area of the Levant and Egypt. Palmyra is one of the most beautiful and grand of the ruins we will visit.

After Palmyra, we will travel towards the coast through the city of Homs famous through history as a crossroads for trade and travel. We will then visit Krak des Chevaliers, a magnificent well-preserved castle that started as a Crusader fortress in 1170 AD, and had subsequent ramparts built a century later by the victorious Sultan Beybars. This fortress castle stands on a mount 2300 feet high, dominating a gap in the mountains, effectively controlling the only pass from Antioch to the north to Beirut to the south. Restored by the French in 1934 during their League of Nations Mandate over Syria, its grandeur was considered “a monument of France”, and the Krak is the best preserved of all the Crusader fortresses in the Mid East.

The next day’s tour is north to the old city of Aleppo, (World Heritage Site-1986) which has a history of over 4000 years. It is famous for its formidable Citadel, perched in the middle of the city atop a high mound and for its labyrinth of covered souks and khans. A wall first built during Hellenistic times encloses the old city. The Great Mosque, build by the same architect as the Ummayad Mosque in Damascus, is said to contain the tomb of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. Aleppo rose to its greatest prominence in the 10th century under the Arab Hamdanid dynasty. Although never captured, it saw much action during the Crusades and under the Ottoman rule (1516-1920), it served as a provincial seat. Aleppo is Syria’s second largest city after Damascus and vies with it for the status of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.
On the day of our departure, you will have free to visit Lattakia for re-supply or other shopping.