Tartus Governorate

Tartus Governorate, also transliterated as Tartous Governorate, ( / ALA-LC: Muḥāfaẓat Ṭarṭūs) is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in western Syria, bordering Latakia Governorate to the north, Homs and Hama Governorates to the east, Lebanon to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. It is one of the few governorates in Syria that has an Alawite majority. Sources list the area as 1,890 km² or 1,892 km², with its capital being Tartus. Archeological sites Al-Kahf Castle – Isma'ili castle Aleika Castle – Isma'ili castle Amrit – Phoenician city Chastel Rouge (Qal’at Yahmur) – Crusader castle Hosn Suleiman Margat – Crusader castle Tell Kazel – Bronze age site (possibly the ancient city of Sumur) Geography Tartus comprises roughly half of Syria's Mediterranean coastline; offshore lie five small islands, the largest of which is Arwad. Inland the terrain is mountainous, comprising a section of the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range (Nusayriyah Mountains). The Nahr al-Kabir river forms the border with Lebanon to the south. Settlements Tartus is the regional capital; other major settlements include Al-Hamidiyah, Al Qadmus, Al-Sawda, Ayn ash Shams, Baniyas, Qusaybah and Safita.