Latakia Things to Do

4 more images

Ugarit is an ancient site about 6 km outside Latakia. The site, which is in ruins, covers 27 hectares. The ruins are of a royal fortress, a palace and two main temples, as well as minor buildings.

The site is open from 9am -6pm in summer, and 9am - 4 pm in winter. There is an entrance fee, but because I had trouble climbing the steep steps I knew there was no way I could stumble over uneven ground to tour the site. However, I was able to look over the site from a platform beside the ticket office. The most obvious thing to notice was an arched tunnel or entrance near the base of the wall.

3 more images

The beach is at the northern end of Latakia. It is made of shell sand and there are rocks where children like to play.
Unfortunately the part we were able to visit was polluted with plastic bottles, shoes and other rubbish.
Views to the lighthouse and Rotana Hotel were good, and nearer by were boats anchored in a sheltered part of the bay.
In summer it can be crowded.

3 more images

Crusader castles sound romantic. But, castles like this one had a defensive purpose, and because of this were built on rocky hills where invaders would be less likely to launch a surprise attack.
Qalaat Salah ud Din , or Soane's Castle dates to the first millenium AD. It is on top of a mountain , overlooking green forests.
The castle fell into the hands of the Crusaders , and was owned by Robert Soane under Roger, Prince of Antioch. but was liberated in 1188 AD by Saladin, and remained in the hands of Muslim Baibars up until Qalaun.
The main features of the castle include the moat, the needle where the drawbridge rested, the bastion, stables, water cistern and citadel. There is a Crusader church, two Byzantine chapels and a later mosque.

The Saladin Castle is situated atop a mountain. The access road is steep and winding. Obviously, the original intention of the inhabitants of the castle were to fend off unfriendly forces.

The castle is mostly in ruins but some structures like defensive walls, towers, a mosque etc. are still standing. A draw bridge used to exist, but all that remains now is a lone standing rock (like a needle). Also marvelous is the view around the castle - enjoy the green scenery, mountains and caves. Somewhere afar you can also spot a lake. You may enjoy a cup of coffee in the coffee shop overlooking the ravine below.

The castle should only be explored by those with strong and healthy limbs (without any assistance from a crutch) as climbing is required. Some of the steps are quite steep and dangerous. Handrails are not always provided (some are in fact damaged). Safety was obviously not a main priority. Becareful while exploring the surroundings. You wouldn't want to drop off a cliff!

Entrance fee is SYP150 for foreigners.

2 more images

There are some first class (although in need of some refurbishment and maintenance) seafront hotels with rather pricey beach clubs just outside the city centre. It takes about 15 minutes by taxi or minibus to get there. Pictures below are of the Le Meridien hotel. Pool is fine and clean, staff is friendly and speaks some English but the beach in front of the hotel is dirty and water is quite polluted.

2 more images

The Temple of Dagan was the second most important of the five temples in Ugarit. Although it is smaller then the Temple of Baal and largely overgrown, it is much better preserved, so you can still see the walls of the temple's two courtyards.

Dagan or Dagon meant grain in Ugaritic, and Dagan was the god of agriculture, so there would almost certainly have been sacrifices on the altar here. The first reference to this god was in Mari texts in 2500 BC. In the Old Testament, Dagon is mentioned as the god of the Philistines and Samson destroyed a temple of Dagan in his last act of strength.

1 more image

The Temple of Baal was the most important religious building in Ugarit. It stands on a mound, in the north-west of the Acropolis, overlooking the city. It must once have been a massive temple complex as it originally covered an area of 1 sq km.

It is now largely overgrown and in ruins and it is difficult to make out even the basic outline of the structure, from the scattered rubble that remains. But excavations have revealed that there was a stone staircase leading up to a courtyard, then another entrance to the cella or holy altar. If religious practices here were similar to those at the Temple of Baal in Baalbeck, then there would have been ritual sacrfices here.

2 more images

Most objects found at Ugarit have been removed and taken to various museums. Possibly the most notable exception is the giant stone vase still standing in the corner of the room where it was first discovered. It makes a nice connection to the people who drank water from this vessel thousands of years ago.