Arwad

Arwad (Phoenician: 𐤀𐤓𐤅𐤃‎, romanized: ʾrwd; Arabic: أرواد, romanized: ʾArwād), the classical Aradus, is a town in Syria on an eponymous island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative center of the Arwad Subdistrict (nahiyah), of which it is the only locality. It is the only inhabited island in Syria. It is located 3 km (1.9 mi) from Tartus (the ancient Tortosa), Syria's second-largest port. Today, Arwad is mainly a fishing town. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, during the 2004 census, it had a population of 4,403, predominantly Arab Sunni Muslims. Plans were unveiled in May 2016 to renovate the island to become a tourist attraction. The island is currently surrounded by ancient Phoenician era walls. Under clear skies, it is possible to spot Arwad and the outline of Turkish hills and mountains in Hatay from elevated observation points in Northern Mount Lebanon, such as the Bsharri district.