Sheikh Saleh al-Ali Mausoleum and Museum, al-Shaykh Badr

Al-Shaykh Badr is a mountain town in the interior of Tartus province, 536 metres above sea level. On a hill above it stands the tomb of Saleh al-Ali, who declared a revolt against the French occupation of the coastal mountains from this town in December 1918. Beside the tomb are a museum of the revolt and a square where ceremonies are held. The complex is a monument built after independence; what draws people here is not the architecture but the story of an uprising.

Who was Saleh al-Ali

Saleh al-Ali was born in al-Shaykh Badr in 1883; some records give 1884. In December 1918 he and a group of local notables declared the revolt against the French from the town. French forces shelled the village in early 1919 and entered it in November 1920. In January 1921 he wrote to Mustafa Kemal, then fighting the French in southern Anatolia, asking for weapons. The letter is kept today in the ATASE military archive in Ankara.

When General Gouraud declared a general amnesty in 1922, he returned home and stayed out of politics until his death. After independence he was guest of honour of President Shukri al-Quwatli at the Evacuation Day celebrations on 17 April 1946, the day Syria marks the departure of the last French troops. He died in Tartus on 13 April 1950.

Getting there

Al-Shaykh Badr is reached from Tartus by the mountain road inland; Al-Kahf Castle lies a few kilometres north of the town. The tomb looks down on the town, so the way up leads through it. A large statue of Saleh al-Ali was put up at the entrance to the town; its present condition has not been confirmed. The exact position is not marked on a map on this page, because the only trace we have could not be confirmed by a second source. Asking in town is the quickest way.

What is there

The complex has three parts: the tomb, the museum of the revolt and the tomb square. We found no published list of what the museum holds; official reports of visits say only that the museum was toured and a documentary was shown. What is on display has to be seen on site.

The April festival

Every year, in the days around Evacuation Day on 17 April, the Tartus governorate holds the Sheikh Saleh al-Ali Festival here. In 2019 it ran for the 22nd time, over three days; in 2022 it reached its 24th year. The programme included a visit to the tomb, a tour of the museum, craft and painting exhibitions and an evening of poetry, and 25 painters took part in the 2022 exhibition. The most recent dated record is 19 April 2026: at a ceremony attended by the governor, the museum was toured, a documentary was screened, and the tomb was visited and its book of honour signed.

When to go

Mid-April, on festival days, when the square is busy and the official programme includes a museum tour. For the rest of the year opening hours and entry conditions have not been confirmed; check in Tartus before setting out.

What most people miss

From the tomb square, look down at the town. The village that French guns targeted in 1919 is the core of the town below you. Al-Kahf Castle, a few kilometres north, fits into the same trip.