Old Latakia on foot: from the National Museum to the Roman arch

Roman Laodicea lies under the streets of modern Latakia, but its columns never left. Some still stand where they were raised; others were carried into an Ottoman mosque. This walk follows them. It starts in the garden of the National Museum across from the port, then moves to Khan al-Hinta, a merchants’ inn with 13 granite columns along its front, and to the Al-Jadid Mosque, whose prayer hall rests on Roman capitals. In the Saliba quarter come the Qubba Mosque, a Crusader chapel that became a mosque, the 8-metre Colonnade of Bacchus and the four-way Roman arch. The walk ends at the Latin Church of 1933. Seven stops, about 3200 metres, half a day.

The route

The museum is on Jerusalem Street, opposite the port gates; follow the garden wall and you reach the entrance. From the garden walk east into the old market area. Khan al-Hinta is about 800 metres on, in the Uwayna quarter, with Ghafiqi Street to its south and Omar ibn al-Khattab Street to its west. Walk along the south front and the granite columns line up between the shopfronts. The Al-Jadid Mosque is one street east, across Balat al-Shuhada lane; its minaret shows above the nearby streets. From the mosque head south into Saliba. The Qubba Mosque is about 500 metres on, easy to spot by the green dome you see from the street. The Colonnade of Bacchus is a few minutes east of it, in a small fenced garden. From the columns walk 200 metres southwest and you stand in front of the arch on Port Said Street. The last leg goes west: out to Baghdad Street and about 700 metres towards the port. The two towers of the Latin Church show from far down the street. From the church, the museum is a few minutes to the northwest.

Timing

Be at the museum at 09:00. The halls were closed in 2011 and stayed shut for a long time; ask at the gate whether they are open. If not, the garden fills half an hour: sarcophagi, column capitals and the khan’s two-storey arcaded courtyard. If they are open, allow an hour. At 10:00 you are at Khan al-Hinta; walking the front and counting its 13 columns takes fifteen minutes. At 10:30, the Al-Jadid Mosque. Suleiman Pasha al-Azm built it in 1727, and the Corinthian capitals on the four basalt columns of its prayer hall were gathered from Roman columns scattered around the city. Leave before the noon call to prayer, when the hall closes to visitors. At 11:15, the Qubba Mosque: the cross-shaped windows in its outer walls mark it as a Crusader chapel. Saladin turned it into a school in 1188, and it became a mosque in 1710. With the Colonnade of Bacchus it takes half an hour. At 12:00, the arch; twenty minutes to walk round all four faces. At 12:30 you reach the Latin Church. If the doors are open the hall wants half an hour; if not, the view from the opposite pavement is enough.

Take care

Inside, Khan al-Hinta is a working metal store. Ask before stepping into the courtyard, and give way when loads are moving. The Al-Jadid and Qubba mosques are places of worship: arms and legs covered, and a headscarf for women. The dome over the ablution fountain at the Al-Jadid is cracked, so do not linger under it. The arch sits about 2 metres below street level behind railings; the opposite pavement is better for photos. The Colonnade of Bacchus is fenced too, and you cannot walk in. Every stop except the museum is free; the museum fee and church hours vary, so check at the door. Since the events on the coast in March 2025, conditions in the city centre can change; check the current situation with local sources before you set out. Summer noons are hot and humid, so walk in the morning.