Grand Syria
Fourteen days from the south to cities and coast.
Damascus · Bosra · Maaloula · Palmyra / Tadmur · Homs
✦ Six World Heritage properties in context✦ Cities, desert and coast
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Ugarit
A Bronze Age capital whose palaces, temples and alphabetic tablets changed how we understand the ancient Levant and the history of writing.
WHY GO
A Bronze Age capital whose palaces, temples and alphabetic tablets changed how we understand the ancient Levant and the history of writing.
Ugarit, at Tell Ras Shamra near Latakia, was a major Late Bronze Age coastal city-state connected to Mediterranean and inland trade. Excavations revealed palaces, temples, residential quarters and archives containing texts written with a 30-sign alphabetic cuneiform script. Those texts are a major landmark in the history of alphabetic writing, but the story should not be simplified to “Ugarit invented the alphabet.”
What to see
- The Royal Palace remains and administrative areas.
- Temples and sacred areas where access permits.
- Residential quarters, tombs and fortification remains.
What to experience
- Connect the city plan with the maritime trade networks that linked Ugarit to the ancient world.
- Understand the alphabetic tablets through archives, administration and ancient languages rather than a simplified slogan.
Food
A food stop is usually arranged with Latakia or the coast.
How long to stay
A day trip from Latakia with time to understand the site, subject to access.
SUGGESTED JOURNEYS
Place it within a route.
Stone, Souq & Sea
Castle, northern souqs and Mediterranean coast.
Damascus · Krak des Chevaliers · Hama · Aleppo · Latakia
✦ Krak des Chevaliers✦ Aleppo and its souqs
Price on requestView journey →