Tartus, Mediterranean port city in coastal Syria
Tartus is a harbor town on the Syrian Mediterranean coast with a large commercial port and several main roads running parallel to the shore. The place combines residential neighborhoods with administrative buildings, while further south old defensive walls of stone remain standing.
Phoenician settlers founded a colony here that later stood under Roman and Byzantine rule. In the 12th century the Templar Order controlled the town before it passed into other hands in the 13th century.
The original name refers to the nearby island of Arwad, which once formed the center of the region. Today people of different backgrounds live together here, often heading to the nearby beach or sitting in the cafes along the waterfront promenade.
Visitors can walk along the coastal road where views of the sea and the nearby island are possible. The central market area lies in the streets behind the waterfront zone and is easy to reach on foot.
The small island offshore served for centuries as a drinking water source, as fresh water was channeled from there to the mainland. Today boats travel regularly to the island where some inhabitants still live in the old stone houses.
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