Churches of Old Latakia walk: from St Nicholas to the Latin Church

In the old centre of Latakia, along a line of less than a kilometre and a half, stand the churches of four separate communities: Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Presbyterian and Latin Catholic. This walk starts at St Nicholas, on the corner of Souq al-Sagha, the goldsmiths’ market. It moves to the Armenian Church of the Holy Virgin 60 metres away and to St George’s Cathedral, finished in 1940. Then it goes to the National Evangelical Church of 1923–1924 and ends on Baghdad Street, facing the port, at the Latin Church consecrated in 1933. Five stops, about 1200 metres on foot, two and a half hours.

The route

St Nicholas stands on the north-east side of the corner where Souq al-Sagha meets al-Muthanna ibn Haritha Street. The main entrance lies below street level, so look down when you search for the door. The Armenian Church of the Holy Virgin is about 60 metres to the southeast. The area around it is called Kidon, a useful name when you ask the way. Walk back past St Nicholas and head west along the market. St George’s Cathedral is about 300 metres on, on the north edge of Souq al-Sagha, just west of Shukri al-Quwatli Street. Its three domes rise above the buildings around it. Carry on west from the cathedral. The National Evangelical Church is about 400 metres on; it sits low between tall apartment blocks and only appears when you turn the corner, so ask nearby for the exact spot. The last leg goes south: down to Baghdad Street, where the two towers of the Latin Church face the port about 500 metres on.

Timing

Be outside St Nicholas at 09:00. Doors are more likely to be open on a Sunday morning, but service times are not published; if a service is under way, do not take photos in the hall. Two sources disagree on the church’s age. German Wikipedia places it in the 6th century, while Arabic Wikipedia says the building date is unknown and the first known date is a repair in 1722. What is certain is that in July 1845, after an earthquake, it was joined to the neighbouring church of Mar Musa and rebuilt; a marble inscription in verse inside dates that merger. Twenty minutes is enough. At 09:25 you are at the Armenian church. The Armenian plaques over the door read 1254. The stone on the north-west wall marked 1183 is a gravestone, not the church’s date. At 09:50, St George’s Cathedral. The present building went up between 1936 and 1940, paid for by donations from the congregation. The west front has five large arched windows, and the last line of the marble plaque on the wall reads 1940. Allow half an hour. At 10:30, the Evangelical Church. The plaque beside the door gives 1923–1924 in Arabic and English, with a line from Psalm 46 between the two languages. The stones in front are symbolic gravestones for the first missionaries, who arrived in 1856. Twenty minutes. At 11:00 you reach the Latin Church. The Italian architect Arrigoni designed it, and Bishop Frediano Giannini consecrated it on 19 March 1933. Before the land in front of the port was reclaimed, these Gothic towers were the first thing people picked out as they approached Latakia from the sea. If the doors are open the hall wants half an hour; if not, the view from the opposite pavement is enough. The walk ends around 11:30.

Take care

The current state of St Nicholas and St George’s is not confirmed, and going inside depends on finding the door open. If they are shut, most of what this route is about is outside anyway: the plaques over the doors, the inscriptions and the fronts. At the Armenian church, if the door is closed, ask someone from the community. All five churches are working places of worship: shoulders and knees covered, and quiet during services. The Evangelical Church, the Armenian church and the Latin Church are free; check at the door for St Nicholas and St George’s. Since the events on the coast in March 2025, conditions in the city centre can change, so check the current situation with local sources before you set out.