Latakia, Syria

Latakia is the principal port of Syria, located on a good harbour, with an extensive agricultural hinterland. All but a few classical buildings have been destroyed, often by earthquakes; those remaining include a Roman triumphal arch and Corinthian columns known as the colonnade of Bacchus.

Other nearby attractions include the massive Saladin's Castle, located 5km’s from Latakia. The castle is built on a headland overlooking a valley, the builders cut a huge channel at the rear of the castle to separate it from the rest of the headland, but left a column of rock in the middle to rest the drawbridge on. The ruins of Ugarit, where some of the earliest alphabetic writings have been found, is also worth a visit. There are also several popular beaches.

Things to See & Do

* Latakia arch
* Saladin’s Castle
* Ruins of Ugarit
* Latakia beaches
* Museum

General Information

Cruise Season – Feb to Dec
Currency – Syrian pound (SYP)
Language – Arabic
Population – 55,000 approx.
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC plus two hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 963

Port Location – The port of Latakia is located in Latakia harbor.

Travel Links – Latakia is served through Bassel Al-Assad International Airport.
There are trains, by CFS, to Aleppo and Damascus.
The city is linked by road to Aleppo, Homs, Tripoli, and Beirut.