Hamidiye Serail, Latakia

Latakia’s government house from the Ottoman period. The mutasarrif, or district governor, Shukri Pasha al-Ayyubi had it built in 1905, and it takes its name from Sultan Abdulhamid II. Under the French Mandate it became the police command, and it still serves as the police headquarters of Latakia province. The interior is not open to visitors. This page treats the building as a stop in the city’s history and a façade seen from the street.

Where it is

The serail is in the al-Kamiliyah quarter, on 18 March Street, opposite the Spanish consulate. Nearby Baghdad Street was once called Caillat Street, after the French governor Caillat. The Latin Church is within walking distance.

Why it was built

The old seat of Ottoman government in Latakia was the earlier serail in the al-Qalaa quarter. Shukri Pasha moved the government offices out of it and brought them together in this new building. The word Hamidiye in its name comes from Abdulhamid II, who was on the throne when it went up.

What state is it in today?

The building suffered structural damage in the earthquake. According to the Syrian newspaper Al-Watan, in a report dated 13 December 2025, the Latakia Antiquities Directorate is carrying out the restoration together with the Internal Security Command. The directorate supervises the work under standards for preserving the original architecture and is documenting the building’s current condition. The report does not say when the work will finish.

What to see

From outside, a two-storey building of dressed stone. A photograph taken in 2020 shows façades with corners picked out in pale stone bands, windows with iron bars, and above the entrance a triangular pediment with a clock at its centre. How the façade looks after the restoration has not been verified.

How long it takes

Ten minutes, since the visit is limited to the façade. The building is a working police headquarters and was under restoration at the end of 2025. Ask the guard before taking photographs.

Don’t miss

The clock pediment above the entrance. It is the clearest detail showing that the building was made as a seat of government, not as a police station.