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National Museum of Latakia

المتحف الوطني في اللاذقية

A museum in the historic Ottoman Khan al-Dukhan facing Latakia's port, opened in 1986; its six halls tell the story of the coast from Ugarit to the modern era.

The National Museum of Latakia, also called the Latakia Museum, stands in a prominent part of the city near the seafront, facing the port, in a building notable for its size, solidity and fine design. It was inaugurated on 19 April 1986.

The complex combines an Ottoman khan known as Khan al-Dukhan, "the Khan of Smoke", with storehouses and vaulted galleries around a rectangular courtyard, probably from the 16th or 17th century, named for the tobacco trade. The French authorities took over the building in 1918 and bought it from its owners in 1932; after the 1936 treaty it became the seat of the French delegate. The elegant house at the khan's southern corner was built in 1905 and became the French delegate's residence under the Mandate; the municipality of Latakia bought it with its gardens in 1978 and converted it into the museum.

Its six halls display finds from different periods of the city's history. The first two are devoted to Ugarit, Ebla, the site of Ras Ibn Hani and the Ancient Near East in general; the third to classical antiquity, with notable pieces from the Seleucid and Roman eras in which Latakia flourished; the fourth to the Islamic period from the 7th century, with ceramics, calligraphy and weaponry; and the last to modern art by contemporary Syrian and Arab artists.

Exhibits include inscribed tablets from Ugarit, ancient jewellery, coins, figurines, ceramics and pottery, and early Arab and Crusader-era chain-mail suits and swords.

The building itself, with its well-proportioned arches and piers, is among the finest historic buildings of its era in Latakia, and looks onto a street lined with hotels, restaurants and cafes that leads to the main port gate.

Note: photos may not reflect the site's current condition.

For the visitor

Photos

Photos: Dosseman — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)