Bara, founded in 4th C AD reached it’s peak of prosperity in the next two centuries, fell into rapid decline in the 8th C and was completely abandoned by the 10th C. Today, not much remains but a few churches and ruins of the city. Surrounded by olive trees even today, it was distressing to hear the sounds of the locals quarrying the site for limestone.
On to Serjilla, a truly amazing dead city. You got the real sense of a city (now inhabited by a Bedouin family and their flock of sheep and goats). The site had huge villas, olive press production- and looked to be highly civilized with a lifestyle of luxury.
Finally, we wandered through the back roads to Qualaat Saladine (Saone). The road was a curvy, winding path to a very imposing castle (named after Saladin to commemorate his capture of the castle). Penetrating the castle seems almost impossible. To support the drawbridge over the channel, the Byzantines cut into the mountain leaving a huge needle of stone.
Once again, time to hit the road before sundown. We headed to the coast to Tartus, a kind of seedy local tourist spot on the Mediterranean. Remembering our sleepless nights at the local Turkish tourist spots, we got a quiet hotel off the main street and spent some time talking to their very vocal owner. One of 5 brothers (obviously multi-millionaires)- they own hotels, construction and transportation companies. A Christian, educated in the States, he had some very strong opinions about just about everything (most of the opinions spot on). Dinner in the hotel- one of the only places in town with A/C.
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