TARTOUS (طرطوس)
Hamrat Street
Flag
Location of Tartous
Coordinates: 34°52′60″N, 35°52′60″E
Governorate	Tartous
- Governor	Wahib Hasan Zein Eddin
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2006)
- City	160,000
Time zone	+2 (UTC)
- Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)
Website: City of Tartous

Tartous (Arabic: طرطوس, also transliterated Tartus) is a city in Syria. It's the capital of Tartous Governorate. The city was known as Antaradus in Latin or Antartus and Tortosa by the Crusaders. Tartous is 220 km northwest of Damascus and less than an hour's drive south of Latakia. Image File history File links Hamrat. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Syria. ... Image File history File links Tartous-map. ... Syria has fourteen governorates, or muhafazat (singular: muhafazah). ... Location of the Tartous Governorate Tartous Governorate (Arabic: مُحافظة طرطوس) is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. ... Basic Definition In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... ...  Areas that have DST  Areas that once had DST  Areas that never had DST For a list of various nations usage of DST, see Daylight saving time around the world. ... ... The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing Arabic and various other languages, together with various closely related scripts that typically differ in the presence or absence of a few letters. ... Location of the Tartous Governorate Tartous Governorate (Arabic: مُحافظة طرطوس) is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... Damascus at sunset Damascus ( translit: Also commonly: الشام ash-Shām) is the largest city of Syria and is also the capital. ... Roundabout in Latakia Latakia (Arabic: اللاذقية Al-Ladhiqiyah, Greek:Λαοδικεία) is the principal port city of Syria. ...

Population

Tartous is the second largest port city on the Syrian coast after [Latakia] and largest city in Tartous Governorate with an estimated population of 160,000 inhabitants. The majority of the population is ethnic Levantine. However, there is about 3000 people of Greek origin who reside mainly in the town of Hamidiye just south of Tartous.^[1]
Since the start of the Iraqi War, a few thousands Iraqi nationals now reside in Tartous. Location of the Tartous Governorate Tartous Governorate (Arabic: مُحافظة طرطوس) is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. ... The Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in Southwest Asia south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and in the east, the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia. ...

Geography and Climate

The City lies on eastern coast of the Mediterranean sea bordered by the Alawite Mountains to the east. The island of Arwad is only a few kilometers off the shore of Tartous and it is the only inhabited island in Syria.
Tartous is mainly flat with surrounding hills to the east composed mainly of limestone and basalt in certain places around the town of Souda.
The climate is Mediterranean with short winter months and a moderate temperature from April to October. The hills to the east of the city create an alternative environment and climate. Tartous is known for its mild weather and high precipitation. Humidity in the summer can reach 80%.^[2] Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... Harbor in Arwad Arwad viewed from the air Arwad – formerly Arado (Greek: Άραδο), Arados (Greek: Άραδος), Arvad, Arpad, Arphad, Antiochia in Pieria (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Πιερίας), Latin: Aradus, and also transliterated from the Arabic as Ar-Ruad – located in the Mediterranean Sea, is the only island in Syria. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Basalt Columnar basalt at Sheepeater Cliff in Yellowstone Basalt (IPA: ) is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... Souda (Greek: Σούδα) is a town and municipality of the Greek island of Crete, in the prefecture of Chania. ...

History

Amrit (Marathus). An ancient phoenician site south of Tartous.

Not much remains of the Phoenician Antaradus (Anti-Aradus - the town facing Arwad), the mainland settlement that was linked to the more important and larger settlement in Syria's only offshore island Arwad. The few Phoenician ruins that remain on the mainland are at the nearby site of Amrit.
Image File history File linksMetadata Amrit_syria. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Amrit_syria. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Phoenician sarcophagus found in Cadiz, Spain; now in Archaeological Museum of Cádiz. ... Harbor in Arwad Arwad viewed from the air Arwad – formerly Arado (Greek: Άραδο), Arados (Greek: Άραδος), Arvad, Arpad, Arphad, Antiochia in Pieria (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Πιερίας), Latin: Aradus, and also transliterated from the Arabic as Ar-Ruad – located in the Mediterranean Sea, is the only island in Syria. ... Harbor in Arwad Arwad viewed from the air Arwad – formerly Arado (Greek: Άραδο), Arados (Greek: Άραδος), Arvad, Arpad, Arphad, Antiochia in Pieria (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Πιερίας), Latin: Aradus, and also transliterated from the Arabic as Ar-Ruad – located in the Mediterranean Sea, is the only island in Syria. ... Phoenician sarcophagus found in Cadiz, Spain; now in Archaeological Museum of Cádiz. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

The city was favored by Constantine for its devotion to the cult of the Virgin Mary. The first chapel to be dedicated to the Virgin is said to have been built here in the 3rd century. Two centuries later an earthquake hit the chapel and the altar was miraculously saved. This miracle was further enhanced by an icon of the Virgin believed to be painted by St. Luke resembling the one in Seidnaya. The church of Our Lady of Tortosa was built upon this miracle by the Crusaders in 1123. It now houses this altar and has received many pilgrims. The Cathedral itself was used as a mosque after the Muslim reconquest of the city, then as a barracks by the Ottomans. It was renovated under the French and is now the city museum, containing antiquities recovered from Amrit and many other sites in the region.
Head of Constantines colossal statue at Musei Capitolini Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[1] (February 27, 272–May 22, 337), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic[2] Christians) Saint Constantine, was a Roman Emperor, proclaimed Augustus by his troops on... Saint Mary and Saint Mary the Virgin both redirect here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

The ancient cathedral of Our Lady of Tartous.

Nur ad-Din retrieved Tartous from the Crusaders for a brief time before it was lost again.

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1536x1024, 179 KB) Originally published under the GFDL by http://it. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1536x1024, 179 KB) Originally published under the GFDL by http://it. ... al-Malik al-Adil Nur ad-Din Abu al-Qasim Mahmud Ibn Imad ad-Din Zangi (1118 – May 15, 1174), also known as Nur ed-Din, Nur al-Din, etc. ...

In 1152, Tortosa was handed to the Knights Templar, who used it as a military headquarters. They engaged in some major building projects, constructing a castle with a large chapel and an elaborate keep, surrounded by thick double concentric walls.^[3] The Templars' mission was to protect the city and surrounding lands, some of which had been occupied by Christian settlers, from Muslim attack. The city of Tortosa was recaptured by Saladin in 1188, though the Templars were able to retreat into the keep, which they continued to use as a base for the next 100 years. They steadily added to its fortifications until it too fell, in 1291. Tortosa had been the last outpost of the Templars on the Syrian mainland, after which they retreated to the nearby island of Arwad, which they kept for another decade.


This article is about the medieval military order. ... Artistic representation of Saladin. ... Harbor in Arwad Arwad viewed from the air Arwad – formerly Arado (Greek: Άραδο), Arados (Greek: Άραδος), Arvad, Arpad, Arphad, Antiochia in Pieria (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Πιερίας), Latin: Aradus, and also transliterated from the Arabic as Ar-Ruad – located in the Mediterranean Sea, is the only island in Syria. ...

Economy

Named after the phoenician name of Tartous, Antaradus is major waterfront development project.[1].

Tartous is an important trade center in Syria. It has one of the two main Syrian ports on the Mediterranean. The city port is experiencing major expansion as a lot of Iraqi imports come through the port of Tartous to aid reconstruction efforts in Iraq.
Tartous is a popular destination for tourists. The city offers good sandy beatches, various resorts, and many historic sites. The city enjoyed major investments in the last few years. The largest being Antaradus waterfront development. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 237 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 237 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Phoenician can mean: The Phoenician ancient civilization The Phoenician alphabet The Phoenician languages This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Reconstruction of Iraq is the term used for attempts to both improve upon and make repairs and improvements to the infrastructure of Iraq. ... Destination was a disco studio group from New York who had one chart entry: Move On Up / Up Up Up / Destinations Theme, which spent four weeks at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1979. ...

Transportation

Tartous has a well developed road network and highways. The railway network connects Tartous to major cities in Syria. However only Latakia-Tartous train is in service. An international Airport is fully operational at Al Basil which is 80 kilometers north of Tartous.
Tartous provides a ferry boat link to island of Arwad. Harbor in Arwad Arwad viewed from the air Arwad – formerly Arado (Greek: Άραδο), Arados (Greek: Άραδος), Arvad, Arpad, Arphad, Antiochia in Pieria (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Πιερίας), Latin: Aradus, and also transliterated from the Arabic as Ar-Ruad – located in the Mediterranean Sea, is the only island in Syria. ...

Main sights

The historic centre of Tartous consists of more recent buildings built on and inside the walls of the Crusader-era Templar fortress, whose moat still separates this old town from the modern city on its northern and eastern sides. Outside the fortress there are few historic remains, with the exception of the former cathedral of Notre-Dame of Tartous, from the 12th century. The church is now the seat of a museum.
Tartous and the surrounding area is rich in antiquities and archeological sites. Various important and well known sites are located within a 30-minute drive from Tartous.

Here is a list of some of the main attractions of the city:

• The old city of tartous.
  
• Margat Castle, north of the city.
  
• The historic Town of Safita.
  
• Arwad island and castle.
  
• The ancient cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa, now used as the city museum.
  
• Beit El Baik Palace.
  
• Hosn Suleiman Temple.
  
• Mashta Al Helou resort.
  
  

Margat (Marqab) castle. View of Margat from ground level Path leading to Margat Margat, also known as Marqab (from the Arabic Qalaat al-Marqab, قلعة المرقب, Castle of the Watchtower) was a Crusader fortress in modern Syria. ... View of Safita from Chastel Blanc St. ... Harbor in Arwad Arwad viewed from the air Arwad – formerly Arado (Greek: Άραδο), Arados (Greek: Άραδος), Arvad, Arpad, Arphad, Antiochia in Pieria (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Πιερίας), Latin: Aradus, and also transliterated from the Arabic as Ar-Ruad – located in the Mediterranean Sea, is the only island in Syria. ... The speedy deletion of this page is contested. ... Image File history File links Margat. ... View of Margat from ground level Path leading to Margat Margat, also known as Marqab (from the Arabic Qalaat al-Marqab, قلعة المرقب, Castle of the Watchtower) was a Crusader fortress in modern Syria. ...

Beit El Baik Palace. Image File history File linksMetadata Beitelbaik. ...

Famous People from Tartous

• Saadallah Wannous (1941-1997), Syrian playwright.
• George Wassouf, singer.
• Sheikh Saleh Al-Ali, a pre-independence Syrian revolutionary who fought against the French.
• Dr. Halim Barakat, novelist, sociologist and retired Research Professor.Official Website
• Giana Eid, actress.
• Rana Jammoul, film and TV actress.

George Wassouf (Arabic: جورج وسوف) is a notable Syrian singer. ... For other uses, see Sheikh (disambiguation). ... Revolutionary, when used as a noun, is a person who either advocates or actively engages in some kind of revolution. ...

Photo Gallery

A neighborhood of Tartous. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1279x756, 890 KB) I took This photo myself Zoheir Karam by my Sony DSC-P100 from my friends home in Tartous I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

Margat (Marqab) castle. Image File history File links Margat. ... View of Margat from ground level Path leading to Margat Margat, also known as Marqab (from the Arabic Qalaat al-Marqab, قلعة المرقب, Castle of the Watchtower) was a Crusader fortress in modern Syria. ...

Bmalke. A town overlooking Tartous. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 198 KB) http://www. ...

Tartous by the Central Park. On the left is the new city hall. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1186x800, 270 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

See Also

References

Coordinates: 34°53′N 35°53′E December 4th redirects here. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The History Channel is a cable television channel, dedicated to the presentation of historical events and persons, often with frequent observations and explanations by noted historians as well as reenactors and witnesses to events, if possible. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

External Links