Tartus

Coordinates: 34°53′N 35°53′E / 34.883°N 35.883°E / 34.883; 35.883
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Tartus
طرطوس
Hamrat Street
Hamrat Street
CountrySyria
GovernorateTartus Governorate
DistrictTartus District
Government
 • GovernorWahib Hasan Zein Eddin
Population
 (2004 cenus)[1]
 • City115,769
 • Metro
162,980
Area code43
Websitehttp://www.tartous.gov.sy

Tartus (Arabic: طرطوس / ALA-LC: Ṭarṭūs; also transliterated Tartous) is a city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. Tartus is the second largest port city in Syria (after Latakia), and the largest city in Tartus Governorate. The population size is 115,769 (2004 census).[2]

Geography and climate

The city lies on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea bordered by the Alawite Mountains to the east. Arwad, the only inhabited island on the Syrian coast, is located a few kilometers off the shore of Tartus.

Tartus occupies most of a flat area, surrounded to the east by hills composed mainly of limestone and, in certain places around the town of Souda, basalt.

Climate

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. Tartus is known for its mild weather and high precipitation. Humidity in the summer can reach 80%.[3]

Climate data for Tartus
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 15.8
(60.4) 		16.4
(61.5) 		18.6
(65.5) 		21.9
(71.4) 		24.8
(76.6) 		27.3
(81.1) 		29.2
(84.6) 		30.0
(86.0) 		29.2
(84.6) 		26.6
(79.9) 		22.4
(72.3) 		17.9
(64.2) 		23.34
(74.01)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.0
(53.6) 		12.7
(54.9) 		14.7
(58.5) 		17.6
(63.7) 		20.3
(68.5) 		23.9
(75.0) 		26.0
(78.8) 		26.7
(80.1) 		25.1
(77.2) 		21.9
(71.4) 		17.7
(63.9) 		13.7
(56.7) 		19.36
(66.85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 8.4
(47.1) 		8.9
(48.0) 		10.4
(50.7) 		12.8
(55.0) 		15.6
(60.1) 		19.1
(66.4) 		22.2
(72.0) 		22.8
(73.0) 		20.4
(68.7) 		16.9
(62.4) 		13.2
(55.8) 		10.0
(50.0) 		15.06
(59.11)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 177.5
(6.99) 		142.1
(5.59) 		105.2
(4.14) 		57.1
(2.25) 		20.0
(0.79) 		12.3
(0.48) 		0.7
(0.03) 		3.8
(0.15) 		8.2
(0.32) 		67.6
(2.66) 		105.0
(4.13) 		184.8
(7.28) 		884.3
(34.81)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 12.5 10.2 9.3 5.4 2.1 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.8 4.4 6.5 11.0 62.9
Source: Hong Kong Observatory[4]

History

Phoenician Antaradus

Main article: Arwad

The History of Tartus goes back to the 2nd millennium BC when it was founded as a Phoenician colony of Aradus.[5] The colony was known as Antaradus (from Greek "Anti-Arados → Antarados", Anti-Aradus, meaning "The town facing Arwad"). Not much remains of the Phoenician Antaradus, the mainland settlement that was linked to the more important and larger settlements of Aradus, off the shore of Tartus, and the nearby site of Amrit.[6]

Greco-Roman and Byzantine

The city was called Antaradus in classical Latin. The city was favored by emperor 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.

Islamic

Muslim armies conquered Tartus under the leadership of Ayyan bin al-Samet al-Ansary in 636.

Crusades

The ancient cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa.

The Crusaders called the city Antartus, and also Tortosa. First captured by Raymond of Saint-Gilles, it was left in 1105 to his son Alfonso Jordan and was known as Tortosa. In 1123 the Crusaders built the church of Our Lady of Tortosa upon this site. 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. Nur ad-Din Zangi retrieved Tartus from the Crusaders for a brief time before he lost it again. 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.[7] 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, and the main Templar headquarters relocated to Cyprus. However, in Tortosa, some 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 also fell, in 1291. Tortosa was the last outpost of the Templars on the Syrian mainland, after which they retreated to a garrison on the nearby island of Arwad, which they kept for another decade.

Economy, transportation and navy

Tartus port

Tartus is an important trade center in Syria and has one of the two main ports of the country on the Mediterranean. The city port is experiencing major expansion as a lot of Iraqi imports come through the port of Tartus to aid reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

Tartus is a popular destination for tourists. The city offers good sandy beaches and several resorts. The city enjoyed major investments in the last few years. The largest being Antaradus and Porto waterfront development.

Tartus has a well-developed road network and highways. The Chemins de Fer Syriens operated railway network connects Tartus to major cities in Syria, although only the Latakia-Tartus passenger connection is in service.

Russian naval base

Tartus hosts a Soviet-era naval supply and maintenance base, under a 1971 agreement with Syria, which is still staffed by Russian naval personnel. The base was established during the Cold War to support the Soviet Navy fleet in the Mediterranean Sea.[8] During the 1970s, similar support points were located in Egypt and Latakia, Syria. In 1977, the Egyptian support bases at Alexandria and Mersa Matruh were evacuated and the ships and property were transferred to Tartus, where the naval support base was transformed into the 229th Naval and Estuary Vessel Support Division. Seven years later, the Tartus support point was upgraded to the 720th Logistics Support Point.[9]

In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and its Mediterranean fleet, the 5th Mediterranean Squadron which was composed of ships from the Northern Fleet and the Black Sea Fleet, ceased its existence. Since then, there have been occasional expeditions by Russian Navy vessels and submarines to the Mediterranean Sea. The naval logistics support base in Syria is now part of the Black Sea Fleet. It consists of three floating docks of which one is operational, a floating workshop, storage facilities, barracks and other facilities.[9]

Since Russia forgave Syria of three quarters, or $9.6 billion, of its $13.4 billion Soviet-era debt and became its main arms supplier in 2006, Russia and Syria have conducted talks about allowing Russia to develop and enlarge its naval base, so that Russia can strengthen its naval presence in the Mediterranean.[10] Amid Russia's deteriorating relations with the West, because of the 2008 South Ossetia War‎ and plans to deploy a US missile defense shield in Poland, President Assad agreed to the port’s conversion into a permanent Middle East base for Russia’s nuclear-armed warships.[11][12] Since 2009, Russia has been renovating the Tartus naval base and dredging the port to allow access for its larger naval vessels.[13]

On September 8, 2008, ten Russian warships docked in Tartus.[14] According to Lebanese-Syrian commentator Joseph Farah, the flotilla which moved to Tartus consisted of the Moskva cruiser and four nuclear missile submarines.[15] Two weeks later, Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the nuclear-powered battlecruiser Peter The Great, accompanied by three other ships, sailed from the Northern Fleet's base of Severomorsk. The ships would cover about 15,000 nautical miles (28,000 km) to conduct joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy. Dygalo refused to comment on reports in the daily Izvestia claiming that the ships were to make a stopover in the Syrian port of Tartus on their way to Venezuela. Russian officials said the Soviet-era base there was being renovated to serve as a foothold for a permanent Russian navy presence in the Mediterranean.[16][17]

In 2009, RIA Novosti reported that the base would be made fully operational to support anti-piracy operations.[18] It would also support a Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean as a base for "guided-missile cruisers and even aircraft carriers".[19]

In late November 2011, Pravda and Reuters announced that a naval flotilla led by the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov was on its way to the naval base in Tartus as a show of support for the al-Assad regime.[20][21]

Main sights

Boats in Tartus harbor
A residential neighborhood of Tartus

The historic centre of Tartus 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 few historic remains can be seen, with the exception of the former cathedral of Notre-Dame of Tartus (Our Lady of Tortosa), from the 12th century. The church is now the site of a museum. Former President Hafez Assad and his predominantly Islamic administration had promised to return the site to the Christians as a symbol of deep Christianity in Syria, however he died before this promise was executed. Assad's son, President Bashar Assad, has claimed to honor his father's promise.

Tartus and the surrounding area are rich in antiquities and archeological sites. Various important and well known sites are located within a 30-minute drive from Tartus. These attractions include:

The outlying town of Al Hamidiyah just south of Tartus is notable for having a Greek-speaking population of about 3,000 who are Muslims in their religion. Their ancestors moved there in the late 19th century from Crete.[22] Since the start of the Iraqi War, a few thousands Iraqi nationals now reside in Tartus.[citation needed]

Notable people

  • Saadallah Wannous (1941–1997), playwright, and first Arab to deliver the International Theatre Day address.
  • Sheikh Saleh Al-Ali, a pre-independence Syrian revolutionary who fought against the French mandate.
  • Dr. Halim Barakat, novelist, sociologist and retired research professor.[23]
  • Jamal Suliman, actor.
  • George Wassouf, famous Arab popstar.
  • Ghassan Masoud, actor.
  • Giana Eid, actress.
  • Qussai Al-Khaoli, actor.
  • Rami Derbas, Economist and Lecturer at Tishreen University.
  • Rana Jammoul, actress.
  • Nashwa Taher, Arabic Linguist at George Washington University.
  • Faeza Daud, Novelist, Short Story writer and researcher in Syrian Mythology.

References

  1. ^ Tartus city population
  2. ^ "Syria: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World-gazetteer.com. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  3. ^ "Central Bureau of Statistics". Cbssyr.org. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  4. ^ "Climatological Information for Tartous, Syria". Hong Kong Observatory. June 2011.
  5. ^ Tartus Encyclopaedia of the Orient. Retrieved 2007, 06-26.
  6. ^ History of Tartous Syria Gate. Retrieved 2007, 06-26.
  7. ^ Lost Worlds: Knights Templar. History Channel video documentary, first aired July 10, 2006.
  8. ^ Bhadrakumar, M K (August 29, 2008). "Russia remains a Black Sea power". Asia Times Online. Retrieved August 29, 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ a b Berezintseva, Olga (August 7, 2007). "Russian Fleet Worries Israel". Kommersant. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  10. ^ Weitz, Richard (2010). Global security watch--Russia : a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger Security International. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-313-35434-2.
  11. ^ "Big Russian flotilla led by Admiral Kuznetsov carrier heads for Syrian port". DEBKAfile. August 21, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) [dead link]
  12. ^ "Big Russian flotilla led by Admiral Kuznetsov carrier heads for Syrian port". DEBKAfile. August 21, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) [dead link]
  13. ^ "INSS: Syria Report" (PDF). Institute for National Security Studies. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  14. ^ "Sources: Russian warships in Syrian port". UPI.com. September 19, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  15. ^ Farah, Joseph (September 19, 2008). "Russians moving into Syria. Strategic alliance include fleet, missiles". WorldNetDaily. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
  16. ^ Mikhail Zygar, Alexandra Gritskova (September 24, 2008). "Tartus Too Small for Pyotr Velikiy". Kommersant. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  17. ^ "Russian navy ships head to Venezuela". [dead link]
  18. ^ John Pike (May 13, 2010). "Russia set to build up its naval facilities in Syria". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  19. ^ Russian Navy to base warships at Syrian port after 2012
  20. ^ "Russia sent military ships to base in Syria". Hotspots and Incidents - Terrorism. Pravda. November 30, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Thomas Grove (November 28, 2011). "Russia sending warships to its base in Syria". Africa. Rueters. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  22. ^ Greek-Speaking Enclaves of Lebanon and Syria by Roula Tsokalidou. Proceedings II Simposio Internacional Bilingüismo. Retrieved December 4, 2006.
  23. ^ "Halim Barakat". Halim Barakat. Retrieved August 4, 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tartus.

News & Events

  • http://abufares.net Abufares said... the world according to a Tartoussi, an English blog from Tartous
  • eTartus The First Complete website for Tartus news and services

Governmental Services

  • E.sy The First Complete Governmental Online Services

34°53′N 35°53′E / 34.883°N 35.883°E / 34.883; 35.883

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