Latakia (Latakiyah)
Syria is the principal national harbor and the capital of the Latakia Governorate. An admirably constructed port-city, the hinterland of
Latakia Syria was rich in vine cultivation, and the wine extracted out of it was exported mainly to Alexandria. Surrounded by gently sloping highlands, the scenic beauty of the region was considerably enhanced by extensive vine plantations, stretching from the foothills to almost the mountain peaks. In fact, these vineyards also extended faraway to the east, almost upto Apamea.
The Arch of
Latakia Syria constructed in 183 by Septimius Severus is assumed to be the earliest form of architecture, which remained under alien occupation for long stretch of time. During Phoenician settlement, the land came to be known as “Ramitha”, while the Greeks offered it the name of “Leuke Akte” (white cape). After Seleucus I Nicator, one of the generals of Alexander the Great re-founded the city, he named it “Laodicea”. Herod the Great furnished
Latakia Syria with a bridge, whose remaining still exists. Severe earthquakes destroyed the city a number of times, and different foreign intruders like the Arabs, Byzantines, Seljuks, Crusaders, Ottomans and French re-built it several times, for permanent settlements.
Agricultural practices formed the main backbone of
Latakia Syria economy. The excellent road network of the city connecting Beirut, Homs, Aleppo and Tripoli helped in the exporting products like vegetable oil, pottery, cotton, bitumen and asphalt, eggs, fruits, tobacco and cereals. Processing of vegetable oils, ginning of cotton fibers, sponge fishing and tanning were a handful of industries, supporting the national economy adequately.
With a population of 554,000,
Latakia Syria composed mainly of the Alawites people. A land of diverse architectural ruins, some places of popular attraction in the region include:
- Ugarit -Ras Shamra
- Qalaat Saladin's Castle
- An old Ottoman museum
- The Roman gateway Tetraparticus, consisting of four columns
- Slunfeh
- Kassab
- Ras al-Bassit
- Temple of Bacchus
- Latakia Arch
Latakia Syria owes its immense popularity to the architectural ruins, attracting travelers from all corners of the world to wander amidst the haunting historical and cultural memories.
