Ariha …. A Tourist Destination Where Civilization Meets Charming Nature

Ariha  is a picturesque Syrian city located in the  Governorate of Idlib in northwestern Syria. It is approximately 75 kilometers away from the Governorate of Aleppo. Its population was about 60,000 people in 2010.

It has been known for its importance since ancient times and has been mentioned in many archaeological manuscripts, as the history of the city dates back to more than five thousand years.

Ariha is a very ancient historical city which has been mentioned in many archaeological and historical references, and was known as one of the ancient cities of Syria. The name Ariha, is an ancient Syrian Aramaic  meaning the” scent “or “scent of flowers”, and the adjacent Zawiya Mountain is one of the most famous areas for cultivating cherries, figs, mahlab and many fruit trees and agricultural crops, which are the main pillars for the economy of the city. Some 55 towns and villages and more than 44 farms, and the sub-districts of Ehsem and Mhmbel are affiliated to Ariha.

Ariha  is located in the middle of one of the most beautiful parts of Syria. It is surrounded by olive, cherry, fig and mahlab orchards and occupies a strategic location where the Aleppo-Latakia road passes through it, as it is a rest stop for travelers lying at the crossroads between Lattakia, Aleppo, Idlib and Maarrat al-Nu’man.

 It is characterized by its fresh air and gentle breeze due to the presence of  Al-Arbaeen Mount, which rises 900 meters above sea level and directly overlooking the green plains of Idlib. The  Jabal Al-Arbaeen Resort in the city includes a number of tourist restaurants, parks and hotels that serve vacationers. The city was built at the beginning of this century in the form of a cone, preceded by four khans: Khan Al-Bazar, Al-Souq, Al-Shaibani, and Al-Qaysariya, and it is fed by seven tubes that draw their water from Al-Ain’s springs. The city is distinguished by the abundance of its mosques and the beauty of its architecture. The ancient city is also famous for medical tourism, as it is a destination for tourists from everywhere to enjoy its pure air.

The ancient city was based on an archaeological hill next to the current city. Life began in the city five thousand years ago in the third thousand BC. In the Roman and Byzantine periods from 64 BC, Ariha was an important religious center affiliated to Antioch, and the city reached its peak between 240 and 350 AD It was conquered by Omar Ibn Al-Aas in 637 AD and was attached to Jund Qansrin. In the Ayyubid era, it was joined to Aleppo and then again to Qansrin.

If you have wandered through the ancient streets of Ariha, you will undoubtedly have entered history and you will see its ancient alleys with its arches, paths and buildings, monuments dating back to the Roman and Byzantine periods and the traces of successive historical periods on the city and its archaeological corners and historical mosques of the beginning of the Islamic era.

Ariha houses were excavated underground in the Roman era, and are surrounded by a huge wall containing 16 doors.

It contains many historical monuments dating back to the Byzantine and Roman era, including buildings, cemeteries, reservoirs, Roman aqueducts, and monuments dating back to different periods of time.

Amal Farhat