“Mashqita” town in the countryside of Lattakia….one of the most fascinating tourist destinations

The town of Mashqita,  which is 23 km north of Lattakia, is  one of the most  charming tourist destinations in the governorate for its richness in natural distinctive view of the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the  16-Tishreen  Dam with its seven lakes on the other hand. 

The  former head  of  Mashqita  municipality, Kasir Mayassa, explained in a statement to SANA  that “the name of the town is of  Roman origin which  means the “irrigated land”, due to the large number of its  springs”.   He indicated  that there are many Roman tombs, clay channels and ancient castles  distributed  on the outskirts of the town, which confirms that this area  has been inhabited since ancient times.,

Mayassa added “ The town of Mashkita is characterized by its  aesthetic  integrated natural elements including  mountains, forests, lakes and valleys  which attracted a number of directors to shoot their films and series as well as  tourist groups of nature lovers and camping enthusiasts”

He pointed  to the various tourist services provided  in the town  due to the remarkable  turnout  of the tourists throughout the year, especially in  the spring and summer seasons in addition  to the  boat trips to enjoy the panoramic views formed by nature.

Before reactivating tourism  in Mashkita , the people there depended for their livelihood on the cultivation of olives, citrus fruits and fruit trees, especially apples “peach, apricot, and peach” and walnuts, in addition to raising livestock, silkworms and  weaving  silk scarfs  , which was revived  after the government’s interest in restoring  this ancient heritage profession.

With regard to the cultural aspect, the town hosted the first school in the area, which was built by its people with their own hands and at their personal expense  where students from several villages joined it.

The seventy-year-old  Mrs.  Zanoub Saleh, Umm Abeer, recalled  with an abundance of nostalgia the days of childhood with the village  girls and how they used to carry water from the spring to their homes while they exchanged conversations and sang folk songs and eagerly awaited completion of housework and agriculture to go for a picnic to   Mashqita’s  lake  and enjoy the splendor of nature among the pine forests, oaks and willows.

Umm Abeer  said  “Life is no longer the same as before. The town has witnessed changes in several fields . it  turned into a prominent tourist destination after the establishment of the Tishreen 16 Dam and the filming of many Arab and local series”.

“What I love most about Mashkita is the kindness, love and simplicity of its people, the beauty of its nature, its mountains, its forests, its valleys, and the bounties of its land with its olives, figs, grapes, apples and pomegranates.” With these words, the eighty –year old Mrs. Maryam Jabbour, Umm Ammar, expressed her love  to her hometown while her hands were knitting on the balcony of her modest rural house.

She stressed  that although she moved between several governorates, she did not and will not find a more beautiful town than her hometown where she  grew up. 

Umm Ammar talked about the old handicrafts that the women of the village used to practice, including  knitting, weaving silk scarfs , sewing and weaving rugs. 

She noted  that she still continues  knitting – a skill  she inherited from her mother and grandmother and which she learned  at the age of 12. 

Rawaa Ghanam