Ancient Town Amrit (عمریت)-Temples

The earliest traces of human settlement in Amrit date back to the end of the 3rd millennium BC, during the Middle Bronze Age. Around 1600 BC, Amorites from Arwad founded the city in the area of what is now Tell Amrit. Under the name Marathos, Amrit became known from the time of Alexander the Great, after he conquered Phoenicia in 333/332 BC. The city was initially part of the Seleucid Empire but attempted to break away from the rule of the island city of Arados in the 3rd century BC, minting its own coins around 230 BC. The exact destruction of the city is unknown, but Strabo described it around the turn of the millennium as a demolished Phoenician city. The first excavations in 1860 by Ernest Renan and further campaigns in the 20th century uncovered numerous artifacts and insights into the ancient city. The main temple was likely built in the second half of the 5th century BC and was dedicated to the gods Melkart and Eshmun.

The ancient city of Amrit is located in Syria, approximately six kilometers south of the center of Tartus, on the coast of the eponymous governorate. The ruins are situated in the Talkalakh region, at an elevation of about 6 meters above sea level.

Visitors can explore the extensive ruins of the ancient city of Amrit. The site includes the remains of the main temple, characterized by a large water basin with a central naiskos. The temple, whose lower part is carved from the rock, testifies to the former splendor of Phoenician architecture.

• Ancient City of Amrit (عمریت)-Stadium (Ancient Buildings), approx. 0.3 km away
• Ancient City of Amrit (عمریت)-Necropolis (Ancient Buildings), approx. 0.8 km away
• Crusader Castle Aruad (Castle), approx. 4.9 km away
• Temple of Baitokaike (حصن سليمان) (Ancient Buildings), approx. 32.6 km away