Ancient city of Tartous enjoys economic, archaeological and human characteristics

The old city of Tartous is one of the most important Syrian archaeological cities. It enjoys economic, archaeological and human characteristics which constitute strong elements that support economic investment, and contribute to securing economic tourism activity with a heritage feature within the city if it is invested according to an integrated and thoughtful plan.

According to the file “Understanding the general context and determining the identity of the ancient city of Tartous,” which was prepared by the Syria Trust Development and the Old City Project team in cooperation with a group of people from the ancient city and the local community, and experts and representatives of governmental and private agencies in Tartous, the strategic location of the city of Tartous gives it an additional advantage in terms of its sea view and its being close to Arwad Island, to the main roads and to the city center and tourist and service facilities including  hotels, restaurants and cafes.

According to the economic expert of the Old Tartous work team, Dr. Ahmed Khader, who is also a teacher at the University of Damascus and director of the Center for Research and Strategic Studies there, the tourism aspect of the old city of Tartous is considered the basis of the economic track there .

He pointed out that the old city’s society is predominantly classical, where the residents of the city depend primarily on work at sea, and secondarily on simple individual trade, some inherited professions and crafts and self-employment.

Dr. Khader added that “Shops are also part of the economy in Old Tartous, noting that the presence of spaces and architectural areas is considered a factor that attracts specialized markets and festivals. In addition, the cafes and hotels that bear the archaeological and historical feature also contribute to enhancing economic path.

The other aspect that was relied upon during the description of the economic path within the file of understanding the general context of the ancient city of Tartous, according to Khader, is the focus on the reality of families, which showed the presence of a group of women working in domestic work that may be the nucleus of individual projects that in turn meet the basic needs of these families.

The economic expert Khader said: “The goals or paths that we are looking forward to in this city depend mainly on supporting family projects, investing in as many shops and architectural  spaces as possible, revitalizing existing tourist facilities, and linking this directly to the process of qualifying and training a group of people in order to achieve real development in the ancient city of Tartous through providing direct job opportunities.”

On the 14th of this month, the workshop on adopting the development map for the old city of Tartous was launched, which was held by the Syria Trust for Development in partnership with the Tartous Governorate, with the participation of more than 150 people from the old city and the local community, and experts and representatives of governmental and private bodies.

Rawaa Ghanam