Syrian Times 25 May, 2004
Arwad Syria’s only island is located 3 kilometers west of the Syrian sea port Tartous.
Arwad was once an independent kingdom called Aradus in the age of the Canaanites. It was often mentioned in Phoenician texts, the old Testament and the tablets of Tel Amarena.
The Macedonian Alexander conquered Arwad in 333 B.C. The Arabs liberated it during the reign of the Omayyad Caliph Muawieh.
French troops conquered it in 1915 A.D. Arwad is a beautiful small island, with a mass of houses and fortresses with narrow lanes. It has many coffee- houses, cafeterias and restaurants overlooking Tartous, and the sea.
Its ancient citadel was used as bastion for Syrian revolutionaries who fought against the French mandate
The walls of some cells in this citadel are still covered with the writing of Syrian revolutionaries and freedom fighters.
Arwad today is similar to a beehive. Its wall, citadel, museum and its Ayyubid towers in addition to its present day coffeehouses are tourist attractions and rich historical sites. |