1) Location and history of construction
The story of Tartous museum starts with the construction of a large cathedral in Old town of Tartous in 1123 AD, with the temple and the icon placed in it. His Holiness the late Pope Paul II mentioned that the “Virgin Mary” had laid the foundation stone for this site. When the Mamluk Sultan Qalawun expelled the Ispartiens in 1291 AD, they fled to Cyprus after they took with them the ancient icon and manuscripts. Later on in, 1667 the cathedral became a stable, after which it was used as a warehouse. In 1681, it was transformed into a mosque, and the alabaster inscriptions and decorations were removed, and the bell tower was replaced with a minaret. With time it has become a Turkish military barracks and then a residence for refugees in 1914. In 1922, the property was annexed to the domains of museum direction in Syria. The property has become officially a museum of antiquities in 1956.









- Significant exhibits of the museum include
- Exhibits and artifacts that were found in Ugarit, such as bronze weapons, utensils and utensils, dating back to the 14th-12th centuries BC, Museum display cases 3/1 at the right side of the museum.
- A white stone sarcophagus dating back to the Roman era, Museum display cases 4
- Weights modeled in different shapes , bronze coins, and golden leafs that were discovered in the tombs of Amrit, Museum display cases 5
- A burial from the Baniyas area (Faris Hill), the funerary items include vessels and parts of bronze vessels, and some locks, dating back to the first century AD. Museum display cases 6&7
- A large collection of oil lamps with different shapes, dating back to the end of the Greek era and the beginning of the Roman era. Museum display cases 8&9
- A collection of the blue Islamic ceramic, dating back to the centuries 13-14AD. And brought from the city of Raqqa located northeast bank of the Euphrates river . Also, there are some artifacts that were found in Amrit. As well as some Greek and Roman medical exhibits that were used at that stage.
- Some glassware dating back to the Greek era, Museum display cases11&12
- Mosaic depicting the fertility deities, the sea god, and the resting shepherd, Museum display cases 13 &15
- Corinthian column capitals dating back to the 6-5th century BC were discovered in Amrit, Museum display cases16&17
- A white marble sarcophagus whose decoration relates to the worship of the god “Tammuz”, who dies in the fall and is born in the spring. The decoration of the coffin resembles a pineapple and the image of the stork hunting a snake. The person with two wings personifies death, Museum display cases 18
- Diverse lanterns dating back to the Hellenistic and Byzantine period, Museum display cases21&19
- A pottery jar discovered in Amrit and dating back to 1st century AD, Museum display cases22
- Wall painting fresco representing the Virgin Mary, Christ, and the apostle Peter, Museum display cases23
- Pottery pots extracted from the underwater excavations at the region, they attest to the importance of martime commerce in ancient times, Museum display cases 24
- (25-26) Phoenician anthropomorphic sarcophagidiscovered at Amrit, they reflect an Egyptian cultural influence on the coastal Syrian cities, Museum display cases 25&26
- A bronze made stele depicting a standing deity who stands on a lion and turns to the left. Found at Qudmus (located northeast of Tartus) , it’s a unique example of the material cultural of the region, it represents Baa’l the weather god, and dated probably to Iron Age, yet the worship of Baa’l is known from Bronze Age city of Ugarit and even from older periods, Museum display cases 27
- A collection of stone – flint tools from the prehistoric periods , 500,000 / 10,000 BC, discovered near Yohmur( located southeast of Tartous), Museum display cases 28&30
- Engraved ancient stones and a statue sculptured from Amrit. Museum display cases 31
- Sculptured statues depicting the god Bacchus, dating back to Roman period, and found at Amrit. . Museum display cases 32&33
- A clay sarcophagus of a man and a woman.
- Archeological founds of the site of Tell Kazel ( located southeast of Tartous and excavated by an American mission in the 80.s ), they include pottery, coins, and statues, Museum display cases 35&40
- Fragments of statues and pottery dating back to the 4th and 5th century BC, found at Amrit. Museum display cases 41&45
- The cornerstone for the cathedral laid by the Virgin Mary, Museum display cases 46
- Statues and statue fragments, found at Tell Kazel, Museum display cases 47
- Roman statues, Museum display cases 48&50
- container for household use, Museum display cases 51
- The front façade of the Tartous Museum, Museum display cases 52
- crowns of pillars, classical period, Museum display cases 53&55
- Ancient stone inscriptions, Museum display cases 56
- A wheat grinder from stone with its base reflecting the traditional household in the region, Museum display cases 57
- A Sandstone made statue, Museum display cases 58
- crowns of column, found at the site Cave Castle, and dating back to the Islamic period, Museum display cases 59


عدد الزوار 498