Tartous / Syria

The History of Tartus goes back to the 2nd millennium BC when it was founded as a Phoenician colony of Aradus. The colony was known as Antaradus (from Greek "Anti-Arados > Antarados"] Anti-Aradus, meaning "The town facing Arwad"). Not much remains of the Phoenician Antaradus, the mainland settlement that was linked to the more
important and larger settlements of Aradus (today’s Arwad), off the shore of Tartus, and the nearby site of Amrit. The island became an independent kingdom and was surrounded by a massive wall. An artificial harbor was constructed on the East toward the main land. It developed into a trading city in early times and had a powerful navy, and its ships are mentioned in the monuments of Egypt and Assyria.