Ras Ibn Hani
Encyclopedia
Ras Ibn Hani is a small cape located 8 kilometres (5 mi) north of Latakia
, Syria
on the Mediterranean Sea
. It is an important archaeological site as it was occupied almost continuously from the late Bronze Age
until Byzantine
times. The site now is in a major resort area called the Cote d'Azur of Syria
.
, and survived in modest fashion Ugarit's collapse at the end of the Bronze Age
: "Ugarit's inhabitants dispersed, but no crisis could neutralize their invaluable asset, the coast's best natural harbour on the promontory of Ras ibn Hani; it became known from its low white cliff as the 'White Harbour' in later Greek coastal guidebooks
, a name which persists in modern Arabic as Minet el-Beida
", observes Robin Lane Fox, who identified Ras Ibn Hani as the site later Greeks knew as Betyllion, possibly a Hellenized version, he suggests, of the Semitic bait-El or "house of El
, a name which, if that is the derivation, "confirms that Canaan
ite-Phoenicia
n culture never entirely died at the site".
The evidence at the campsite suggests that a settlement at Ras Ibn Hani was reestablished by the Ptolemies in the middle of the third century BCE, in the wake of the Third Syrian War. As a result of the war the Egyptians came into possession of Seleucia Pieria. It was presumed that, in order to protect Seleucia Pieria from Laodicaea (Latakia)
, which remained under Seleucid control, Ptolemy III founded a settlement at Ras Ibn Hani. That settlement was evidently short-lived. Evidence shows that it went into decline after the second half of the first century BCE, undoubtedly as a result of the departure of the Ptolemies from the region. Robin Lane Fox notes that Trajan
landed at this spot to join his troops in Syria for the fateful Mesopotamian campaigns of 114–117 CE.
, 309—80 BCE. Some were probably issued during Ptolemy III's expedition to Syria. Also found at the site, an inscription that dates back to the second half of the third century BCE records a list of Ptolemaic mercenaries. There is also evidence for trade with the Aegean basin
, through the discovery of stamped Rhodian amphora handles.
Latakia
Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
on the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. It is an important archaeological site as it was occupied almost continuously from the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
until Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
times. The site now is in a major resort area called the Cote d'Azur of Syria
Cote d'Azur, Syria
Cote d'Azur or the Blue Beach is a beach resort located north of Latakia, Syria along the Mediterranean coast, on a site of archaeological importance called Ras Ibn Hani. Latakia's two five-star hotels are located at the resort, in addition to the "village", which consists of private holiday...
.
History
This coastal site lies only a two hour's walk from the site of Bronze Age UgaritUgarit
Ugarit was an ancient port city in the eastern Mediterranean at the Ras Shamra headland near Latakia, Syria. It is located near Minet el-Beida in northern Syria. It is some seven miles north of Laodicea ad Mare and approximately fifty miles east of Cyprus...
, and survived in modest fashion Ugarit's collapse at the end of the Bronze Age
Bronze Age collapse
The Bronze Age collapse is a transition in southwestern Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age that some historians believe was violent, sudden and culturally disruptive...
: "Ugarit's inhabitants dispersed, but no crisis could neutralize their invaluable asset, the coast's best natural harbour on the promontory of Ras ibn Hani; it became known from its low white cliff as the 'White Harbour' in later Greek coastal guidebooks
Periplus
Periplus is the Latinization of an ancient Greek word, περίπλους , literally "a sailing-around." Both segments, peri- and -plous, were independently productive: the ancient Greek speaker understood the word in its literal sense; however, it developed a few specialized meanings, one of which became...
, a name which persists in modern Arabic as Minet el-Beida
Minet el-Beida
Minet el-Beida is a small bay located north of Latakia, Syria on the Mediterranean Sea. It is an important archaeological site because it served as the harbor town and necropolis for Ugarit.-Overview:...
", observes Robin Lane Fox, who identified Ras Ibn Hani as the site later Greeks knew as Betyllion, possibly a Hellenized version, he suggests, of the Semitic bait-El or "house of El
El (god)
is a Northwest Semitic word meaning "deity", cognate to Akkadian and then to Hebrew : Eli and Arabic )....
, a name which, if that is the derivation, "confirms that Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ite-Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n culture never entirely died at the site".
The evidence at the campsite suggests that a settlement at Ras Ibn Hani was reestablished by the Ptolemies in the middle of the third century BCE, in the wake of the Third Syrian War. As a result of the war the Egyptians came into possession of Seleucia Pieria. It was presumed that, in order to protect Seleucia Pieria from Laodicaea (Latakia)
Latakia
Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
, which remained under Seleucid control, Ptolemy III founded a settlement at Ras Ibn Hani. That settlement was evidently short-lived. Evidence shows that it went into decline after the second half of the first century BCE, undoubtedly as a result of the departure of the Ptolemies from the region. Robin Lane Fox notes that Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
landed at this spot to join his troops in Syria for the fateful Mesopotamian campaigns of 114–117 CE.
Archaeological evidence
Archaeological finds suggest the place was the site of a Hellenistic settlement, whose name and founding dates are not known, nor is it mentioned in any extant literary source. On the other hand, the site yielded at least 512 Hellenistic coins. Approximately 170 Ptolemaic coins that date from the reigns of Ptolemy II, Ptolemy III and BerenikeBerenice III of Egypt
Berenice III , sometimes called Cleopatra Berenice, ruled as queen of Egypt from 81 to 80 BC, and possibly from 101 to 88 BC jointly with her uncle/husband Ptolemy X Alexander I....
, 309—80 BCE. Some were probably issued during Ptolemy III's expedition to Syria. Also found at the site, an inscription that dates back to the second half of the third century BCE records a list of Ptolemaic mercenaries. There is also evidence for trade with the Aegean basin
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, through the discovery of stamped Rhodian amphora handles.