Tartus طرطوس | |
---|---|
City | |
Hamrat Street | |
Coordinates: 34°53′N 35°53′E / 34.883°N 35.883°E | |
Kintra | Sirie |
Govrenorate | Tartus Govrenorate |
Destrict | Tartus Destrict |
Govrenment | |
• Govrenor | Wahib Hasan Zein Eddin |
Population (2010)[1] | |
• Total | 98,000 |
Area code(s) | 43 |
Website | http://www.tartous.gov.sy |
Tartus (Arabic: طرطوس, leeterally pit ower as Tartous) is a city on the Mediterranean coast o Sirie. Tartus is the seicond maistmuckle port city in Sirie (efter Latakia), an the caipital an maistmuckle city in Tartus Govrenorate. The population size is 98,000 (year 2010 estimate).[1]
The city lies on the eastren coast o the Mediterranean Sea mairched bi the Alawite Muntains tae the east. Arwad, the anely inhabitit island on the Sirian coast, is locatit a few kilometres aff the shore o Tartus.
Tartus occupees maist o a flat area, surroondit tae the east bi hills componed mainly o limestane an, in certain places aroond the toun o Souda, basalt.
The climate is Mediterranean, wi short winter months an a moderate temperature frae Apryle til October. The hills tae the east o the city mak an alternative environment an climate. Tartus is kent for its mild wather an heich precipitation. Humidity in the simmer can reach 80%.[2]
Climate data for Tartus | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average heich °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) |
Average law °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[3] |
Main airticle: Arwad |
The History o Tartus gangs back tae the 2nt millennium BC whan it wis foondit as a Phoenicie colony o Aradus.[4] The colony wis kent as Antaradus (frae Greek "Anti-Arados → Antarados", Anti-Aradus, meanin "The toun facin Arwad"). Nae hintle remains o the Phoenician Antaradus, the mainland dounset that wis linked tae the mair important an mair muckle settlements o Aradus, aff the shore o Tartus, an the nearbi steid o Amrit.[5]
The city wis cried Antaradus in classical Laitin. The city wis favored bi emperor Constantine for its devotion tae the cult o the Virgin Mary. The first chapel tae be dedicatit tae the Virgin is seyed tae hae been biggit here in the 3rd century.
Muslim airmies conquered Tartus unner the leadership o Ayyan bin al-Samet al-Ansary in 636.
The Crusaders cried the ceety Antartus, an an' aa' Tortosa. First captured bi Raymond o Saint-Gilles, it wis left in 1105 tae his son Alfonso Jordan an wis kent as Tortosa. In 1123 the Crusaders biggit the kirk o Oor Lady o Tortosa upon this steid. It nou hooses this altar an haes received mony pilgrims. The Cathedral itsel wis uised as a mosque efter the Muslim reconquest o the ceety, then as a barracks bi the Ottomans. It wis renovatit unner the French an is nou the ceety museum, containin antiquities recovered frae Amrit an mony ither steids in the region. Nur ad-Din Zangi retrieved Tartus frae the Crusaders for a brief time afore he lost it again. In 1152, Tortosa wis haundit tae the Knights Templar, who uised it as a military heidquarters. Thay engaged in some major biggin projects, constructin a castle wi a lairge chapel an an elaborate keep, surroondit bi thick dooble concentric waws.[6] The Templars' mission wis tae pertect the ceety an surroondin lands, some o which haed been occupeed bi Christian settlers, frae Muslim attack. The ceety o Tortosa wis recaptured bi Saladin in 1188, an the main Templar heidquarters relocatit tae Cyprus. Housomeivver, in Tortosa, some Templars wur able tae retreat intae the keep, that thay continued tae uise as a base for the next 100 years. Thay steadily addit tae its fortifications till it fell, in 1291. Tortosa wis the last ootpost o the Templars on the Sirian mainland, efter that thay retreated tae a garrison on the nearbi island o Arwad, that thay kept for anither decade.
Tartus is an important trade centre in Sirie an haes ane o the twa main ports o the kintra on the Mediterranean. The ceety port is experiencin major expansion as a lot o Iraqi imports come throu the port o Tartus tae aid reconstruction efforts in Iraq.
Tartus is a popular destination for tourists. The ceety affers guid sandy beaches an several resorts. The ceety enjoyed major investments in the last few years. The lairgest bein Antaradus waterfront development.
Tartus haes a well-developed road netwirk an heich-gates. The Chemins de Fer Syriens operatit railwey netwirk connects Tartus tae major ceeties in Sirie, awtho anerlie the Latakia-Tartus passenger connection is in service.
The historic centre o Tartus consists o mair recent buildings biggit on an inside the waws o the Crusader-era Templar fortress, whose moat still separates this auld toun frae the modren ceety on its northren an eastren sides. Ootside the fortress few historic remains can be seen, wi the exception o the umwhile cathedral o Notre-Dame o Tartus (Oor Lady o Tortosa), frae the 12t century. The kirk is nou the steid o a museum. Umwhile Preses Hafez Assad an his predominantly Islamic admeenistration haed promised tae return the steid tae the Christians as a seembol o deep Christianity in Sirie, housomeivver he dee'd afore this promise wis executit. Assad's son, Preses Bashar Assad, haes claimed tae honour his faither's promise.
Tartus an the surroondin aurie are rich in antiquities an aircheological steids. Various important an weel kent steids are locatit athin a 30-minute drive frae Tartus. Thir attractions include:
The ootlyin toun o Al Hamidiyah juist sooth o Tartus is notable for haein a Greek-speakin population o aboot 3,000 who are Muslims in thair releegion. Thair ancestors muivit thare in the late 19t century frae Crete.[16]
Wikimedia Commons haes media relatit tae Tartus. |