Tartus

The name derives from Ancient Greek: Αντιάραδος, romanized: Anti-Arados (Antarados or Anti-Aradus, meaning "The town facing Aradus). In Latin, its name became Tortosa. The original name survives in its Arabic form as Ṭarṭūs (Arabic: طَرْطُوس), from which the French Tartous and English Tartus derive.

Tartus was founded as a Phoenician colony of Aradus. The colony was known as Antaradus. Not much remains of the Phoenician Antaradus, the mainland settlement of the more important and larger settlements of Aradus, off the shore of Tartus, and the nearby site of Amrit. The city was called Antaradus in Latin. Athanasius reports that, under Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, Cymatius, the Christian Orthodox bishop of Antaradus and also of Aradus (whose names indicate that they were neighbouring towns facing each other) was driven out by the Arians. At the First Council of Constantinople in 381, Mocimus appears as bishop of Aradus. At the time of the Council of Ephesus (431), some sources speak of a Musaeus as bishop of Aradus and Antaradus, while others mention only Aradus or only Antaradus. …

The city lies on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea bordered by the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range 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 the coastal plain, surrounded to the east by mountains composed mainly of limestone and, in certain places around the town of Souda, basalt. Tartus has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen (Csa) with mild, wet winters, hot and humid summers, and short transition periods in April and October. The hills to the east of the city create a cooler climate with higher rainfall. Tartus is known for its relatively mild weather and high precipitation compared to inland Syria.

Many cultural and literary events, art festivals and theater are held in the city, and in the summer, the activities of the Tartous Art Festival are held in the presence of distinguished Syrian and Arab artists, in addition to a tourist festival called Antaradus. Assi Rahbani and Mansour Rahbani, frequent visitors to Tartus, immortalized their love for the city in a song, Shabab Al-Hilweh, sung by Nasri Shamseddine. Among the composers whose name is associated with Tartous and Husayn al-Baher is the musician Safwan Bahlawan Ibn Arwad who has a distinguished performance in the pub and his artistic presence on the Arab art scene. Residents of the city include the singer Farrah Yousef, finalist of the singing competition Arab Idol and Taim Hasan, an actor known for his dramatic roles in Syria and the Arab world. …

There is a cement plant in the city with a production capacity of 6.5 thousand tons of cement per day. The pharmaceutical industry is also represented in the city, since the beginning of the conflict in the country, seven pharmaceutical factories have been opened and another 3 are under construction. Food, chemical and wood processing industries are also represented in the urban industrial zone. Many residents are employed in the service sector. Tartus is an important trade center in Syria and has one of the two main ports of the country on the Mediterranean. In 2005, the city port underwent major expansion as a lot of Iraqi imports come through the port of Tartus to aid reconstruction efforts in Iraq. In January 2025, the post-Assad government of Syria canceled Russian company Stroytransgaz's contract to operate the commercial port 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 Romanesque-Gothic cathedral Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Tartus, from the 12th century. 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 old city of Tartus. 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. Sheikh Saleh al-Ali shrine in Al-Shaykh Badr. Hosn Suleiman Temple. Drekish town-resort. …