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97-560: The castle is located roughly 25 kilometers (16 mi) northeast of Latakia . The castle is close to the town of al-Haffah . The traditional name of the site is Ṣahyūn , the Arabic equivalent of Zion . This, according to historian Hugh N. Kennedy , is why it has now been given the more politically correct title of Qalʿat Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn , meaning "Saladin's Castle". The Byzantines referred to it as Sigon and their Frankish successors called it Saône . The site has been fortified since at least

194-417: A UNESCO report titled "World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate". The Australian government's actions, involving considerable expense for lobbying and visits for diplomats , were in response to their concern about the negative impact that an "at risk" label could have on tourism revenue at a previously designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2021, international scientists recommended UNESCO to put

291-673: A brief control of the Genoese fleet in 1101, the city was taken in 1103 by forces under the command of Tancred of Hauteville , a veteran of the First Crusade and acting regent of the Principality of Antioch . Following the defeat of Antiochene forces at the Battle of Harran in 1104, the city was reoccupied by the Byzantines led by Admiral Cantacuzenus , however they would again lose the city. Despite

388-674: A caliphate general, named 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit during the Muslim conquest of Syria in the 7th century. The city was renamed al-Lādhiqīyah (اللَّاذِقِيَّة) and switched rule from the Rashidun Caliphate , to the Umayyad Caliphate and finally to the Abbasid Caliphate in a span of 9 centuries, attached to the large province of Bilad Al-Sham (Greater Syria). Arab geographer, Al-Muqaddasi (d. 991), mentions al-Lādhiqīyah as belonging to

485-457: A considerable distance from Lāŏdĭcḗa, sloping up gently and gradually from it, they tower above Apameia, extending up to a perpendicular height. Pompey the Great conquered the city along with most of Syria in the 1st century BC, and Julius Caesar declared the city a "free polis." The Roman emperor Septimius Severus rewarded the city with the title of "Metropolis" in the 2nd century AD, exempted it of

582-501: A consul in Latakia, due to the trade of cotton and silk from Persia. The city which was in despair was rebuilt after a visit by Qaitbay in 1477. An Alawite community was first established in Latakia by the missionary Abu Sa'id al-Tabarani (d. 1034) in the early 11th century. From then on it spread northward and into the coastal mountain range. Latakia came under the Ottoman control after

679-415: A maximum length of 25 meters and 4 meters draught. The Syrian Navy has one of four bases in Latakia. Latakia has an extensive agricultural hinterland. Exports include bitumen ( asphalt ), cereals, cotton , fruits, eggs, vegetable oil, pottery, and tobacco . Cotton ginning, vegetable-oil processing, tanning, and sponge fishing serve as local industries for the city. The Cote d'Azur Beach of Latakia

776-483: A minor boundary change, one that does not have a significant impact on the extent of the property or affect its "outstanding universal value", is also evaluated by the advisory bodies before being sent to the committee. Such proposals can be rejected by either the advisory bodies or the Committee if they judge it to be a significant change instead of a minor one. Proposals to change a site's official name are sent directly to

873-510: A more violent crackdown was coming. Protests continued despite the increased security presence and arrests. Several civilians were allegedly killed in confrontations with security officers during this early period of the siege. On 13 August 2011, the Syrian Army and Syrian Navy launched an operation where more than 20 tanks and APCs rolled into the Alawi stronghold. The city was also attacked by

970-410: A mosque, which dates back to Qalawun's reign, and a palace, which includes baths with courtyards and iwans . This has been slightly restored. Latakia Latakia ˌ( / l æ t ə ˈ k iː ə / ; Arabic : ٱللَّاذْقِيَّة , romanized :  al-Lādhiqiyya ; Syrian pronunciation: [el.laːdˈʔɪjje, -laːðˈqɪjja] ) is the principal port city of Syria and capital city of

1067-614: A partial military withdrawal from Syria, but with continuing Russian presence, as the Khmeimim airbase and the Russian naval facility in Tartus would still be operated by Russian forces. On 7 December 2021, Israeli warplanes launched an airstrike attack on Latakia's port, damaging the port's facilities and setting several containers on fire. On December 28, the port was attacked again after Israeli forces launched several precision missiles targeting

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1164-538: A population of 6,354 Palestinian refugees , mostly from Jaffa and the Galilee . The Port of Latakia is the main seaport in Syria. It was established on 12 February 1950, and has boosted the city's importance ever since. The port's imported cargo includes clothing, construction materials, vehicles, furniture, minerals, tobacco, cotton, and food supplies such as lintels, onions, wheat, barley, dates, grains and figs, and in 2008,

1261-756: A remarkable accomplishment of humankind and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet, or it might be a place of great natural beauty. As of July 2024, a total of 1,223 World Heritage Sites (952 cultural, 231 natural and 40 mixed cultural and natural properties) exist across 168 countries . With 60 selected areas, Italy is the country with the most sites, followed by China with 59, and Germany with 54. The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored, uncontrolled or unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence. Sites are demarcated by UNESCO as protected zones. The World Heritage Sites list

1358-647: A reward of 100,000 francs for information on his whereabouts. After the French gave up trying to capturing Shaykh Saleh, a pardon was issued by General Henri Gouraud . The state became part of the Syrian Federation in 1922, but it left the federation again in 1924. In 1930, the Alawite State was renamed as the Government of Latakia, the only concession by the French to Arab nationalists until 1936. On 3 December 1936, it

1455-510: A significant minority. The city itself, however, contained significant numbers of Sunni and Christian inhabitants. The landlords in the countryside tended to be Sunni and Orthodox Christians, while the peasants were mostly Alawi. Like the Druzes , who also had a special status before the end of World War I, the Alawis had a strained relationship with the Ottoman overlords. In fact, they were not even given

1552-955: A single text was eventually agreed upon by all parties, and the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. The convention came into force on 17 December 1975. As of November 2024, it has been ratified by 196 states: 192 UN member states , two UN observer states (the Holy See and the State of Palestine ), and two states in free association with New Zealand (the Cook Islands and Niue ). Only one UN member state, Liechtenstein , has not ratified

1649-523: A sizable Antiochian Greek population exists in Latakia, and their diocese in the city has the largest congregation of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch . There is also an Armenian community of 3,500 in the city. The entire population speaks Arabic, mostly in the North Levantine dialect. Within the city boundaries is the "unofficial" Latakia camp , established in 1956, which has

1746-627: A treaty in 1108 with Bohemond promising to return Latakia to the Byzantine Empire by 1110 it was firmly under the control of the Principality of Antioch, as it was called "La Liche". In 1126, the cities of Latakia and Jabala were the dowry of Princess Alice , daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem , who later donated a house in Latakia to the Knights Hospitaller , which became their main base in

1843-423: A wall across the east side of the ridge. The walls created an irregular enclosure and were studded with flanking towers. Adjacent to the fortification, at the eastern end of the ridge was a settlement. One of the most magnificent features of the fortress is the 28 m deep ditch, which was cut into living rock . The creation of the ditch has been attributed to the Byzantines. This ditch, which runs 156 meters along

1940-717: Is Syria's premier coastal resort, and offers water skiing, jet skiing, and windsurfing. The city contains eight hotels, two of which have five-star ratings; both the Cote d'Azur de Cham Hotel and Lé Meridien Lattiquie Hotel are located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of the city, at Cote d'Azur. The latter hotel has 274 rooms and is the only international hotel in the city. World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritage around

2037-559: Is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee , composed of 21 "states parties" that are elected by the United Nations General Assembly , and advised by reviews of international panels of experts in natural or cultural history, and education. The Program catalogues, names, and conserves sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to

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2134-533: Is the 5th-largest city in Syria after Aleppo , Damascus , Homs and Hama . Cape Apostolos Andreas , the north-eastern tip of Cyprus , is about 109 kilometres (68 mi) away. Although the site of the city has been inhabited since the 2nd millennium BC, the city was founded in the 4th century BC under the rule of the Seleucid Empire . Latakia was subsequently ruled by the Romans and Byzantines , followed by

2231-545: The Abbasid Caliphate from 750 to 968. The famous poet Al-Mutanabbi led a millenarian revolt at Latakia in 930. The Byzantine Empire recaptured the city in 970 by John I Tzimiskes , but it was lost to the Fatimids in 980. The Banu Munqidh managed to control the city until they were succeeded by the Seljuks during the reign of Malik-Shah I in 1086, despite a brief Byzantine control in 1074. Later on, Guynemer of Boulogne raided

2328-523: The Azm family of governors established several new foundations in the city. The British, French and Spanish established consulates in the city, so that by mid-century Latakia was serving as co-capital of the entire province ( eyalet ) of Tripoli, Lebanon . In 1824, the Ottomans named Muhammad Paşa ibn Alman, a native of the area who was suspected of being an Alawite and a French sympathizer, governor of Latakia. He

2425-478: The Battle of Marj Dabiq in 1516. It had a population of about 1400–1700 in the 16th century. From the late 17th century onward it was ruled by the Ibn al-Matarji family, some of whose members would go on to become governors of Damascus Eyalet . Under their leadership, and the development of the tobacco industry in the same period, the town developed rapidly in the 18th century. Several churches were rebuilt or restored and

2522-596: The French Lattaquié and English Latakia (or Lattakia) derive. To the Ottomans, it was known as Lazkiye. The location of Latakia, the Ras Ziyarah promontory , has a long history of occupation. The Phoenician city of Ramitha was located here. Stephanus of Byzantium writes that the city was named Ramitha ( Ancient Greek : Ῥάμιθα ), then Leukê Aktê ("white coast") ( Ancient Greek : Λευκὴ ἀκτή ) and later Laodicea ( Ancient Greek : Λαοδίκεια ). The city

2619-625: The Latakia Governorate located on the Mediterranean coast. Historically, it has also been known as Laodicea in Syria or Laodicea ad Mare . In addition to serving as a port, the city is a significant manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages. According to 2023 estimate, the population of the city is 709,000, its population greatly increased as a result of the ongoing Syrian Civil War , which led to an influx of internally displaced persons from rebel held areas. It

2716-491: The Latakia Sports City , a sports complex designed specifically to host the games. The Latakia Sports City Stadium served as the main venue for the games. In 1994, the city's population reached 303,000, with that number significantly rising to 383,786 by 2004. Although population assessment in recent years has become difficult due to the ongoing civil war, the city's population is estimated to have risen drastically in

2813-451: The Mamluk sultan Baibars . Some time in the 1280s, the dissident Mamluk emir Sunqur al-Ashqar used the castle for refuge from Sultan Qalawun . Under Sunqur, the castle became the administrative center of a small semi-independent emirate. In late 1286 and early 1287, Qalawun set out to repress his rivals which including curtailing Sunqur's independence. To this end the sultan sent an army under

2910-619: The Principality of Antioch , one of the four Crusader states established after the First Crusade . The lords of Sahyun were among the most powerful in Antioch. The first lord of Sahyun was probably Robert the Leper , who is recorded in control of it since at least 1119. Sahyun remained in his family until 1188. It was most likely Robert or his son, William of Zardana , who built the Crusader castle around

3007-654: The Rashiduns , Ummayads and Abbasids during the 7th–10th centuries AD. Byzantine ruling groups frequently attacked the city, periodically recapturing it before losing it again to Arab powers, particularly the Fatimids . Afterward, Latakia was ruled successively by the Seljuk Turks , Crusaders , Ayyubids , Mamluks , and the Ottomans . Following World War I , Latakia was assigned to the French mandate of Syria , in which it served as

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3104-751: The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. Under the World Heritage Committee, signatory countries are required to produce and submit periodic data reporting providing the committee with an overview of each participating nation's implementation of the World Heritage Convention and a "snapshot" of current conditions at World Heritage properties. Based on the draft convention that UNESCO had initiated,

3201-580: The 2010s due to the influx of refugees from the cities of Aleppo, Idlib and other cities which have been affected by the ongoing war. During the Syrian Civil War, Latakia had been a site of protest activity since March 2011. The Syrian government claimed 12 were killed there in clashes in late March, leading to the deployment of the military to restrict movement into and out of the city. Hundreds of Syrians were reportedly arrested, and by late July, activists in Latakia were telling foreign media they feared

3298-528: The 20th century, Latakia had a population of roughly 7,000 inhabitants; however, the Journal of the Society of Arts recorded a population of 25,000 in 1905. In a 1992 estimate, Latakia had a population of 284,000, rising to 303,000 in the 1994 census. The city's population continued to rise, reaching an estimated 402,000 residents in 2002. In 2010, Latakia City was 50% Alawite, 40% Sunni and 10% Christian; however,

3395-499: The Alawite tribes, and the Alawite State was incorporated into Syria with little organised resistance. In 1942, the Latakia and Druze regions were returned to Syrian control, and by 1946, the French completely left Syria and a new independent government was created. All but a few classical buildings had been destroyed by the modern era, often by earthquakes; those remaining include a Roman triumphal arch and Corinthian columns known as

3492-522: The Colonnade of Bacchus . However, important remains from the city at Roman and Hellenistic periods including full body statues, Roman funerary art, and column capitals that once belonged to the ancient city, now found in its national museum. An extensive port project was proposed in 1948, and construction work began on the Port of Latakia in 1950, aided by a US$ 6 million loan from Saudi Arabia . By 1951,

3589-498: The French Mandate, has often been interpreted as a " divide and rule " strategy by the French, who sought to undermine anti-colonial nationalist movements. The French justified the creation of the Alawite state by citing the "backwardness" of the mountain-dwellers, religiously distinct from the surrounding Sunni population; they claimed that the division protected the Alawi people from more-powerful Sunni majorities. This division by

3686-651: The French administration in Syria did not stop Alawites such as Sheikh Saleh al-Ali , who led the Syrian Revolt of 1919 , in continuing to protest French rule. Saleh al-Ali coordinated with the leaders of other anti-French revolts in the country, including the revolt of Ibrahim Hananu in the Aleppo countryside and Subhi Barakat 's revolt in Antioch , but Saleh al-Ali's revolt was put down in 1921. A French court-martial in Latakia sentenced Shaykh Saleh to death in absentia and offered

3783-679: The Great Barrier Reef on the endangered list, as global climate change had caused a further negative state of the corals and water quality. Again, the Australian government campaigned against this, and in July 2021, the World Heritage Committee , made up of diplomatic representatives of 21 countries, ignored UNESCO's assessment, based on studies of scientists, "that the reef was clearly in danger from climate change and so should be placed on

3880-968: The List of World Heritage in Danger and the World Heritage List. Only three sites have ever been delisted : the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman, the Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany, and the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City in the United Kingdom. The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was directly delisted in 2007, instead of first being put on the danger list, after the Omani government decided to reduce

3977-506: The Mamluks until at least the late 14th century. The emir of Hama , Abu'l-Fida (r. 1273–1331), noted that a town was established adjacent to Sahyun. In later decades, however, Sahyun was abandoned. After the Ottoman conquest in Syria, Sahyun became an Ottoman fortress. A 16th century Chinese text's description of a "city with two walls" between Tartus and Aleppo seems to match the citadel Sahyun. In early 20th century, T. E. Lawrence visited

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4074-463: The Syrian Civil War without any significant damage. In 2023, one of the fortified towers was destroyed during the February earthquake . Sahyun was built on a ridge some 700 metres (2,300 ft) long between two deep gorges. It guarded the route between Latakia and the city of Antioch. The spur on which the castle is built is connected to a plateau in the east. The Byzantines defended the site by building

4171-633: The Syrian army on 14 August 2011. Activists claimed that 25 people died during the attack. Latakia is the home of Russia's largest foreign SIGINT facility. Khmeimim Air Base is an airbase near Latakia converted to use by the Russian military in 2015. Russian president Vladimir Putin , accompanied by his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad visited the Khmeimim airbase , Russia's main military base in Syria, located just outside Latakia near Jableh on 11 December 2017. Declaring victory over ISIL, and announcing

4268-609: The World Heritage Committee for new designations. The Committee meets once a year to determine which nominated properties to add to the World Heritage List; sometimes it defers its decision or requests more information from the country that nominated the site. There are ten selection criteria – a site must meet at least one to be included on the list. Until 2004, there were six sets of criteria for cultural heritage and four for natural heritage. In 2005, UNESCO modified these and now has one set of ten criteria. Nominated sites must be of "outstanding universal value" and must meet at least one of

4365-944: The World Heritage Fund to facilitate its conservation under certain conditions. UNESCO reckons the restorations of the following four sites among its success stories: Angkor in Cambodia, the Old City of Dubrovnik in Croatia, the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Kraków in Poland, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania. Additionally, the local population around a site may benefit from significantly increased tourism revenue. When there are significant interactions between people and

4462-403: The assassination of an Alawite religious leader in the city. The following day 2,000 paratroopers, commanded by Rifaat al-Assad , were sent to restore order. In the violence that followed around forty people were killed including ten pilots from the Latakia air base. In 1987, the city hosted the tenth round of the Mediterranean Games , with the opening ceremony hosted by Hafez al-Assad in

4559-405: The awards, because World Heritage listing can significantly increase tourism returns. Site listing bids are often lengthy and costly, putting poorer countries at a disadvantage. Eritrea 's efforts to promote Asmara are one example. In 2016, the Australian government was reported to have successfully lobbied for the World Heritage Site Great Barrier Reef conservation efforts to be removed from

4656-584: The capital of the autonomous territory of the Alawites . This autonomous territory became the Alawite State in 1922, proclaiming its independence a number of times until reintegrating into Syria in 1944. Like many Seleucid cities, Latakia was named after a member of the ruling dynasty. It was first called Laodikeia on the Coast ( Greek : Λαοδίκεια ἡ Πάραλος ) by Seleucus I Nicator in honor of his mother, Laodice . In Latin , its name became Laodicea ad Mare . The original name survives in its Arabic form as al-Ladhiqiyyah ( Arabic : اللاذقية ), from which

4753-449: The castle's west, and the inhabitants sought refuge in the castle. The castle and town were supposed to be separated by a ditch, however at the north end the digging remained unfinished. Exploiting this, Az-Zahir successfully stormed the castle walls. The inner courtyard was overrun and the garrison retreated to the donjon or keep. Before the day ended they agreed terms with their attackers and were allowed to ransom themselves. Though Sahyun

4850-406: The castle, and describe it as "the most sensational thing in castle building I have ever seen." The citadel was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO , along with Krak des Chevaliers , in 2006. During the Syrian uprising which began in 2011 UNESCO voiced concerns that the conflict might lead to the damage of important cultural sites such as Citadel of Salah Ed-Din. As of 2016 the castle survived

4947-409: The castle: Saladin established himself with his siege engines on the plateau opposite the castle's east side while his son was set up facing the north of the castle's lower enclosure. Stones weighing between 50 and 300 kilograms (110 and 660 lb) hurled at the castle for two days, causing significant damage. On 29 July, the order to attack was given. Az-Zahir assaulted the castle town adjoining

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5044-416: The city on 19 August 1097, with 28 ships coming from Cyprus during the First Crusade . In 1098, Raymond of Saint-Gilles captured the city, with the Byzantine fleet presence; hence, the city became contested between the crusaders and the Byzantines who controlled Latakia and Baniyas in the meantime. After failed efforts by Bohemond I of Antioch to capture Latakia from the Byzantine Empire in 1099, and

5141-407: The city range from around 16 °C (61 °F) in January to around 30 °C (86 °F) in August. Latakia on average receives around 760 millimetres (30 in) of rainfall annually. One of the first censuses was in 1825, which recorded that there were 6,000–8,000 Muslims, 1,000 Greek Orthodox Christians, 30 Armenian Christians , 30 Maronite Catholics , and 30 Jews . At the beginning of

5238-406: The city, until they were defeated by the Mamluks of Qalawun , on 20 April 1287. In circa 1300, Arab geographer al-Dimashqi noted that Latakia had no running water and that trees were scarce, but the city's port was "a wonderful harbor... full of large ships". In 1332, the Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta visited Latakia in his journeys. During the late 14th and 15th century, Venetians had

5335-406: The command of Turuntay to establish a siege at Sahyun. Turuntay sent a message to Sunqur, saying that if he surrendered the sultan would pardon him; Sunqur refused and so the siege began. It soon became apparent that Sunqur's men could not hold the castle, and so in April he surrendered. Afterward, Sahyun was made part of the province of Tripoli . The castle remained significant and prosperous under

5432-407: The commerce through the port of Laodicea. The heretic Apollinarius was bishop of Lāŏdĭcḗa in the 4th century. The city minted coins from an early date, but decreasing in importance after the cities of Alexandria and Antioch flourished in coin minting and overshadowed other cities. The city was also famed for its wine produced around the port's hills which were exported to all the empire. During

5529-504: The commitment of countries and local population to World Heritage conservation in various ways, providing emergency assistance for sites in danger, offering technical assistance and professional training, and supporting States Parties' public awareness-building activities. Being listed as a World Heritage Site can positively affect the site, its environment, and interactions between them. A listed site gains international recognition and legal protection, and can obtain funds from, among others,

5626-404: The committee. A site may be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger if conditions threaten the characteristics for which the landmark or area was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Such problems may involve armed conflict and war, natural disasters, pollution, poaching, or uncontrolled urbanisation or human development. This danger list is intended to increase international awareness of

5723-417: The common culture and heritage of humankind. The programme began with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage , which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. Since then, 196 states have ratified the convention, making it one of the most widely recognised international agreements and the world's most popular cultural programme. In 1954,

5820-486: The completion of a railway line to Homs . The port became even more important after 1975 due to the troubled situation in Lebanon and the loss of Beirut and Tripoli as functioning ports. In 1973, during the October War (Yom Kippur War), the naval Battle of Latakia between Israel and Syria was fought just offshore from the city. The battle was the first to be fought using missiles and ECM (electronic countermeasures). On 2 September 1979 clashes broke out following

5917-412: The convention. By assigning places as World Heritage Sites, UNESCO wants to help preserve them for future generations. Its motivation is that "heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today" and that both cultural and natural heritage are "irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration". UNESCO's mission with respect to World Heritage consists of eight sub targets. These include encouraging

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6014-415: The district of Hims ( Homs ). The Mardaites controlled the region from Jebel Aqra to northern Palestine , including Latakia in 705. However, they later withdrew from the city after an agreement with the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I . Afterwards, the Mardaites sacked it in 719, but it was rebuilt by Umar II . The city lost its importance due to its location on the border between the Byzantine Empire and

6111-404: The ditch. This keep has walls of 5 m thick and it covers an area of nearly 24 m. Further on to the north is the gate where the drawbridge used to be. Also evident are the Byzantine citadel, located at the center of the fortress, another large cistern, the Crusader tea house, and a Crusader church adjoining one of two Byzantine chapels. As for the Arab additions to the fortress, they include

6208-404: The east in the Coastal Mountain Range , and Jableh and Baniyas to the south. Latakia is the capital of the Latakia Governorate, in western Syria, bordering Turkey to the north. The governorate has a reported area of either 2,297 square kilometres (887 sq mi) or 2,437 square kilometres (941 sq mi). Latakia is the administrative centre of the Latakia District that occupies

6305-402: The east side, is 14 to 20 meters wide and has a lonely 28 m high needle to support the drawbridge. The entrance to the castle is through an entrance on the south side of the fortress. On the right of the entrance is a tower, a bastion built by the Crusaders. There is another a few meters further. There is a cistern for water storage and some stables just next to a massive keep that overlooks

6402-400: The empire's taxation, fortified the city, made it for a few years the capital of Roman Syria and also built the city's famed Tetraporticus around the same time. Some Roman merchants moved to live in the city under Augustus , but the city was always culturally "Greek" influenced. Subsequently, a Roman road was built from southern Anatolia toward Berytus and Damascus, that greatly improved

6499-452: The endangered monuments and sites. In 1960, the Director-General of UNESCO launched the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia . This resulted in the excavation and recording of hundreds of sites, the recovery of thousands of objects, as well as the salvage and relocation to higher ground of several important temples. The most famous of these are the temple complexes of Abu Simbel and Philae . The campaign ended in 1980 and

6596-430: The first stage of its construction was completed, and the port handled an increasing amount of Syria's overseas trade. In August 1957, 4,000 Egyptian troops landed in Latakia under orders from Gamal Abdel Nasser after Turkish troops massed along the border with Syria, accusing it of harboring Turkish Communists . A major highway linked Latakia with Aleppo and the Euphrates valley starting in 1968, supplemented by

6693-409: The government of Egypt decided to build the new Aswan High Dam , whose resulting future reservoir would eventually inundate a large stretch of the Nile valley containing cultural treasures of ancient Egypt and ancient Nubia . In 1959, the governments of Egypt and Sudan requested the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to assist them to protect and rescue

6790-909: The last two decades. These activities endanger Natural World Heritage Sites and could compromise their unique values. Of the Natural World Heritage Sites that contain forest, 91% experienced some loss since 2000. Many of them are more threatened than previously thought and require immediate conservation action. The destruction of cultural assets and identity-establishing sites is one of the primary goals of modern asymmetrical warfare. Terrorists, rebels, and mercenary armies deliberately smash archaeological sites, sacred and secular monuments and loot libraries, archives and museums. The UN, United Nations peacekeeping and UNESCO in cooperation with Blue Shield International are active in preventing such acts. "No strike lists" are also created to protect cultural assets from air strikes. The founding president of Blue Shield International Karl von Habsburg summed it up with

6887-411: The list." According to environmental protection groups, this "decision was a victory for cynical lobbying and [...] Australia, as custodians of the world's biggest coral reef, was now on probation." Several listed locations, such as Casco Viejo in Panama and Hội An in Vietnam , have struggled to strike a balance between the economic benefits of catering to greatly increased visitor numbers after

6984-825: The local level which can result in the site being damaged. Rock art under world heritage protection at the Tadrart Acacus in Libya have occasionally been intentionally destroyed. Chalcraft links this destruction to Libyan national authorities prioritizing World Heritage status over local sensibilities by limiting access to the sites without consulting with the local population. UNESCO has also been criticized for alleged geographic bias, racism , and colourism in world heritage inscription. A major chunk of all world heritage inscriptions are located in regions whose populations generally have lighter skin, including Europe, East Asia, and North America. The World Heritage Committee has divided

7081-451: The mid-10th century, and its first known occupant was a dependent of the Aleppo -based Hamdanid emir, Sayf al-Dawla . The Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes captured Sahyun in 975 from its Hamdanid ruler, and it remained under Byzantine control until around 1108 when the Crusaders took control of Latakia, at which point it is likely they also took possession of Sahyun. It was part of

7178-704: The natural environment, these can be recognised as "cultural landscapes". A country must first identify its significant cultural and natural sites in a document known as the Tentative List. Next, it can place sites selected from that list into a Nomination File, which is evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union . A country may not nominate sites that have not been first included on its Tentative List. The two international bodies make recommendations to

7275-653: The northern portion of the Latakia Governorate. Nahr al-Kabir al-Shamali flows into the Mediterranean Sea south of Latakia. Under Köppen's climate classification , Latakia has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) with warm, humid summers and cool, wet winters. Latakia's wettest months are December and January, where average precipitation is around 160 mm. The city's driest month, July, only has on average about 1 millimetre (0.04 in) of rain, despite being rather humid. Average high temperatures in

7372-498: The port handled about 8 million tons of cargo. The largest area of the port, with 43 hectares, occupies the container terminal. The storage capacity is up to 17,000 containers. Latakia was connected to six ferry lines to Alexandria (Egypt), İzmir (Turkey) and Beirut (Lebanon). It is not known whether the lines still exist in the Syrian civil war , which has been going on since 2011. The marina Latakia has 150 berths for ships up to

7469-447: The port. The attack killed 2 Syrian Army soldiers, destroyed several containers and set the port on fire for several hours. Latakia is located 348 kilometres (216 mi) north-west of Damascus, 186 kilometres (116 mi) south-west from Aleppo, 186 kilometres (116 mi) north-west of Homs, and 90 kilometres (56 mi) north of Tartus. Nearby towns and villages include Kasab to the north, Al-Haffah , Slinfah and Qardaha to

7566-585: The previous Byzantine fortifications. Most of what is evident today was built at this time. The fortress was notable as being one of the few which were not entrusted to the major military orders of the Hospitaller and the Templars . On 27 July 1188, the Ayyubid sultan Saladin and his son, az-Zahir Ghazi , arrived at Sahyun with an army and laid siege to the castle. The Muslim forces adopted two positions outside

7663-543: The protected area's size by 90%. The Dresden Elbe Valley was first placed on the danger list in 2006 when the World Heritage Committee decided that plans to construct the Waldschlösschen Bridge would significantly alter the valley's landscape. In response, the Dresden City Council attempted to stop the bridge's construction. However, after several court decisions allowed the building of the bridge to proceed,

7760-467: The recognition and preserving the original culture and local communities. Another criticism is that there is a homogeneity to these sites, which contain similar styles, visitor centres , etc., meaning that a lot of the individuality of these sites has been removed to become more attractive to tourists. Anthropologist Jasper Chalcraft said that World Heritage recognition often ignores contemporary local usage of certain sites. This leads to conflicts on

7857-466: The region. In April 1136, the city was sacked by Emir Sawar ibn Aytakin, governor of Aleppo , then it was struck by the 1157 Hama earthquake and the 1170 Syria earthquake . This situation remained the same with the city serving as the primary port for the Principality until it was captured following a siege by the Ayyubids , under the rule of Saladin on 23 July 1188. By 1260, the crusaders recaptured

7954-466: The rural hinterland has an Alawite majority of roughly 70%, with Sunni Muslims making up 14%, Christians making up 12%, and Ismailis representing the remaining 2%. The city serves as the capital of the Alawite population and is a major cultural center for the religion. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, large numbers of Alawites from the area emigrated to the country's capital Damascus. Of the Christians,

8051-634: The split of the Roman Empire , it belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire . An earthquake damaged the city in 494, but the city was later reconstructed by Justinian I and made the capital of the Eastern Roman province of Theodorias from 528 AD until Muslim conquest around 637 AD. All of Syria, including the Roman province of Theodorias and its capital, Laodicea fell into Muslim rule after its attacked by

8148-475: The status of millet , although they enjoyed relative autonomy. In 1920, Latakia fell under the French mandate, under which the Alawite State was established. The state was named after the locally-dominant Alawites and became a French mandate territory after World War I. The French Mandate from the League of Nations began in 1920. The creation of the Alawite State, as well as the other states of Syria under

8245-474: The ten criteria. A country may request to extend or reduce the boundaries, modify the official name, or change the selection criteria of one of its already listed sites. Any proposal for a significant boundary change or to modify the site's selection criteria must be submitted as if it were a new nomination, including first placing it on the Tentative List and then onto the Nomination File. A request for

8342-405: The threats and to encourage counteractive measures. Threats to a site can be either proven imminent threats or potential dangers that could have adverse effects on a site. The state of conservation for each site on the danger list is reviewed yearly; after this, the Committee may request additional measures, delete the property from the list if the threats have ceased or consider deletion from both

8439-615: The valley was removed from the World Heritage List in 2009. Liverpool 's World Heritage status was revoked in July 2021, following developments ( Liverpool Waters and Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium ) on the northern docks of the World Heritage site leading to the "irreversible loss of attributes" on the site. The first global assessment to quantitatively measure threats to Natural World Heritage Sites found that 63% of sites have been damaged by increasing human pressures including encroaching roads, agriculture infrastructure and settlements over

8536-436: The words: "Without the local community and without the local participants, that would be completely impossible". The UNESCO-administered project has attracted criticism. This was caused by perceived under-representation of heritage sites outside Europe, disputed decisions on site selection and adverse impact of mass tourism on sites unable to manage rapid growth in visitor numbers. A large lobbying industry has grown around

8633-526: The work of the World Heritage Committee was developed over a seven-year period (1965–1972). The United States initiated the idea of safeguarding places of high cultural or natural importance. A White House conference in 1965 called for a "World Heritage Trust" to preserve "the world's superb natural and scenic areas and historic sites for the present and the future of the entire world citizenry". The International Union for Conservation of Nature developed similar proposals in 1968, which were presented in 1972 at

8730-648: The world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity". To be selected, a World Heritage Site is nominated by its host country and determined by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to be a unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable, having a special cultural or physical significance, and to be under a sufficient system of legal protection. For example, World Heritage Sites might be ancient ruins or historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains or wilderness areas. A World Heritage Site may signify

8827-717: The world into five geographic regions: Africa, Arab states, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Russia and the Caucasus states are classified as European, while Mexico and the Caribbean are classified as belonging to the Latin America and the Caribbean region. The UNESCO geographic regions also give greater emphasis on administrative, rather than geographic associations. Hence, Gough Island , located in

8924-411: Was a strong castle, it fell in just three days. Kennedy speculates that, despite being well-provisioned, the fortress may have surrendered been because its garrison was not large enough or possessed siege engines. Saladin granted Sahyun and Bourzey to one of his emirs , Mankawar (also known as "Mankurus ibn Khumartigin"). The pair descended through the latter's heirs until 1272 when Sahyun was given to

9021-668: Was collected from 50 countries. The project's success led to other safeguarding campaigns, such as saving Venice and its lagoon in Italy, the ruins of Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan, and the Borobodur Temple Compounds in Indonesia. Together with the International Council on Monuments and Sites , UNESCO then initiated a draft convention to protect cultural heritage. The convention (the signed document of international agreement ) guiding

9118-931: Was considered a success. To thank countries which especially contributed to the campaign's success, Egypt donated four temples; the Temple of Dendur was moved to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City , the Temple of Debod to the Parque del Oeste in Madrid , the Temple of Taffeh to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden , and the Temple of Ellesyia to Museo Egizio in Turin . The project cost US$ 80 million (equivalent to $ 295.83 million in 2023), about $ 40 million of which

9215-492: Was decided that the Alawite state would be re-incorporated into Syria as a concession by the French to the Nationalist Bloc , which was the ruling party of the semi-autonomous Syrian government; the decision went into effect in 1937. There was a great deal of Alawite separatist sentiment in the region, but their political views could not be coordinated into a unified voice. There was also a great deal of factionalism amongst

9312-509: Was described in Strabo 's Geographica : It is a city most beautifully built, has a good harbour, and has territory which, besides its other good crops, abounds in wine. Now this city furnishes the most of the wine to the Alexandreians, since the whole of the mountain that lies above the city and is possessed by it is covered with vines almost as far as the summits. And while the summits are at

9409-512: Was killed in an urban revolt later that year that was inspired by the fundamentalist shaykh Muhammad al-Moghrabi. During the Egyptian occupation of Syria (1831–1841) there was a major Alawite revolt (1834-1835) in both the town and the surrounding countryside. In 1888, when Wilayat Beirut was established, Latakia became its northernmost town. In the Ottoman period , the region of Latakia became predominantly Alawi . The Turkmen also consisted

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