Syria’s only island to host foreign visitors
The only island in Syria, Arvad, which is located in the Mediterranean Sea a few kilometers from the city of Tartus, is preparing to receive foreign travelers. This is reported in the local administration.
The area of the island is about six square kilometers, it is currently home to five thousand people who are engaged in fishing and boat construction. The island is known for its rich history and sights, which are still interesting only to travelers from Syria.
Tourist Bahjet Sannun in an interview with journalists noted that the island of Arvad is interesting. There are many historical sites in Syria.
The city on the island was settled by the Phoenicians around the second millennium BC. Arvad was ruled at different times by Egyptians, Romans, Byzantines and Crusaders, and when the Crusades ended, power passed to Muslims.
Recently, a general clean-up was carried out on Arvad, and the local administration invited foreign guests (for example, from Lebanon and Cyprus).
"Look at this! This building is a thousand years old, and how it survived! It's a Turkish hammam. We even wanted to reopen it to visitors, but in order to preserve the object, we abandoned this idea. I can tell you a lot about the bridge, and about the fortress, says the mayor of Arvad Ali Nijim.