Arwad

Arwad is the only populated Island off the coast of Syria and the town occupies the whole island. It was in the Roman Province of Syria.
It is located 2 miles (3 km) from the coastal town of Tartus, which is Syria’s second biggest Port.

2nd millenium BCE:
- Arwad was founded in the 2nd millenium BCE, as a well fortified island city off the coast of Phoenicia.
- It was one of the three powerful Phoenician maritime cities, along with Sidon and Tyre.
- It was known to the Greeks and Romans as Arados, near the city of Antarados (Tartus) which meant ‘opposite Arados’.
Navy:
- Arwad had a powerful Phoenician navy whose ships are mentioned on Monuments in Egypt and Assyria.
- The city dominated the area south as far as the sphere of influence of Sidon.
- Inland, it controlled the trade with the East, along the Orontes valley.
1,472 BCE
- Arwad was occupied by the Egyptians under Thutmose III.
c.1,200 BCE
- Arwad was sacked, probably by the Sea Peoples, but it recovered.
332 BCE
- Alexander the Great invaded Syria, and Arwad became an ally. Arwad sent her ships to help the Greek siege of Tyre along with the ships of Sidon who also became an ally.
35 BCE
- Arwad became a Roman city after unsuccessfully resisting a siege.

Arwad