Citadel of Saladin
Salah al-Din Citadel is located on the eastern side of the Syrian city of Lattakia, 33 km from it; it was erected on a triangular rock summit rising 400 meters from the sea, and its length reaches 740 meters, and its area exceeds five hectares, and the beginning of its construction dates back to the Byzantine era, as the Crusaders built And adding a part to it during their occuAl Bahahn of them before Sultan Salahuddin al-Ayyubi succeeded in liberating them in 1188 CE.
Salah al-Din Citadel enjoyed a distinguished position among the castles of the Syrian coast as a result of its unique architectural design that took the shape of a triangle, and extends longitudinally between two deep valleys. In addition, the castle was surrounded by deep trenches, huge walls, and prominent towers that made it one of the most fortified seashore castles.
The interior of the castle contains Islamic monuments, including: a large mosque built during the time of the Mamluk Sultan Qalawun. In addition to that, many of the bathrooms were designed according to the Arab style. As for the previous civilizations, only a few walls and half-circular towers remained. Recently, the Aga Khan Foundation for Cultural Services carried out a major restoration that covered most parts of the castle, and was also registered on the list of scientific heritage by the UNESCO World Heritage Center in 2006 AD.
The Great Mosque of Mansouri
It is one of the remaining ancient archaeological buildings in Lattakia, which was built by Ahmed bin Arslan Al-Ayoubi in 607 AH and was one of the well-known mosques during the French colonial era. To the south, unlike the direction of the rest of the mosques in Lattakia, it is also distinguished by a great historical value because it contains writings that were written on its internal and external walls that dated to the beginning of its origins.
The Great Mosque includes a main entrance from the direction of the qiblah, and on its right is a small corridor that ends with two doors: the first is located on the right side, and is used to enter the chapel, which is a long rectangular place containing the mihrab and eight windows. The other door is located on the left side and connects to the courtyard. It is an open square square shape. A minaret was created for the mosque in the same year in which it was established, and a school is considered to be the first school in Latakia.
Lattakia Museum
It is an archaeological museum established in 1984 in an old building that was used as a hotel in the Ottoman era, then it was converted to the Khan of Smoke. When France ruled Syria, it took it as the center of its High Commissioner, and after independence, the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums initiated and cleaned and restored it by including a group of ancient monuments to it, including : The wrestler statue of Polklet, an enlarged and anthropomorphic statue of God Baal, as well as sarcophagi and stone monuments, and the museum houses a pillar of traditional and popular industries.
Our Lady’s Church
It is called the Church of Our Lady, in relation to the Virgin Mary, who lived in Nazareth, and there appeared to her King Gabriel, and her gospel to our Lord Jesus – peace be upon him – so she moved to the higher heavens with body and soul.
The Church of Our Lady in Lattakia is an old church, and no one knows the original history of its founding, which caused its cracking and cracking, and in 1721 AD it was completely restored from the inside and outside. Which necessitated the modernization of its construction again.
