The Roman Arch of Latakia

A Roman arch in the centre of Latakia, opening on all four sides. It is the oldest standing structure in the city and its local emblem. This is not a single-span triumphal arch: it is square in plan and open on every face — the type ancient sources call a tetrapylon.

Getting there

On Port Said Street, at the edge of the Slaibeh quarter. It is walking distance from the centre of Latakia and a few minutes by taxi. You do not need to ask for the address; the structure is visible from the street.

What to see

A square block of sandstone. Each face carries an arch, the arches rest on columns, and the capitals are Corinthian. Emblems of victory are carved into the stone: swords, shields, helmets, spears. Sea air has worn the surfaces, and parts of the relief can no longer be read.

How it reached today

The building is tied to Latakia siding with Septimius Severus in the fight for the Roman throne. His rival took the city and wrecked it; after Severus won in 194 he rewarded Latakia, and the arch is counted as part of that reward. Over the centuries the ground rose, the openings were walled up, the structure served for a long time as a small mosque, and houses closed in around it. In a later clearance the adjoining buildings were pulled down, the walls blocking the arches were removed, and a small park was laid out around it. The arch still stands about two metres below street level. Its cubic mass is what kept it upright through the earthquakes that hit the city.

How long it takes

Twenty minutes. Walking around it and looking at the carving is enough. There is no interior to enter; the structure is itself a passage.

What most people miss

The occasional ancient column drums in the surrounding streets. The arch did not stand alone: the avenues of Roman Laodicea ran through here, and their stones now sit between apartment blocks.