Lattakia and Qala’at Salah ah-Din
Lattakia is a lovely town which sits on the Mediterranean Sea. In 
ancient days it was called Laodicea, and has been an important port since Roman times. We visited in December, which was a bit cold; in the summer, however, this is one of Syria’s finest vacation spots.
From Lattakia we hired a friendly and informative driver to go to Qala’at (Castle) Salah ah-Din. This castle is not as well preserved as Krak de Chevaliers (Syria’s most famous castle), but is unique in its spectacular location. It is set on the top of a narrow mountain ridge, surrounded by evergreens and two precipitous gorges. To ascend to the castle you must follow a series of switchbacks down one mountain and up the next, until you see what used to be the drawbridge h
ewn from solid rock.
This castle and its surrounding environs were created by the Crusaders around 1188 AD, and then besieged for two days by Salah ah-din’s army before they were taken by the Muslims.
From the top of the ancient turrets you can view the Mediterranean Sea. The ruins are really enjoyable to explore because there are no boundaries or 
limitations placed on visitors. We watched the sun glisten as it set on the sea in one direction, then turned to see snow-capped mountains behind us. Our visit to Qala’at Salah ah-Din will be among our fondest memories of our time in Syria.
ancient days it was called Laodicea, and has been an important port since Roman times. We visited in December, which was a bit cold; in the summer, however, this is one of Syria’s finest vacation spots.
From Lattakia we hired a friendly and informative driver to go to Qala’at (Castle) Salah ah-Din. This castle is not as well preserved as Krak de Chevaliers (Syria’s most famous castle), but is unique in its spectacular location. It is set on the top of a narrow mountain ridge, surrounded by evergreens and two precipitous gorges. To ascend to the castle you must follow a series of switchbacks down one mountain and up the next, until you see what used to be the drawbridge h
ewn from solid rock.This castle and its surrounding environs were created by the Crusaders around 1188 AD, and then besieged for two days by Salah ah-din’s army before they were taken by the Muslims.
From the top of the ancient turrets you can view the Mediterranean Sea. The ruins are really enjoyable to explore because there are no boundaries or 
limitations placed on visitors. We watched the sun glisten as it set on the sea in one direction, then turned to see snow-capped mountains behind us. Our visit to Qala’at Salah ah-Din will be among our fondest memories of our time in Syria.
posted by Elisabeth | 9:30 PM
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