Diemazz

Baniyas بانياس
Baniyas Location in Syria
Coordinates: 35°10′56″N 35°56′25″E / 35.18222, 35.94028
Country	Syria
Governorate	Tartus Governorate
District	Baniyas District
Population (2008 est.)
- Total	42, 128
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)
Area code(s)	43

Baniyas (Arabic: بانياس‎) is a city of northwestern Syria, located at the foot of the hill of Qalcat el-Marquab, 55 km to the south of Latakia (ancient Laodicea) and 35 km north of Tartous (ancient Tortosa), and a Catholic titular see under the Latin name of Balanea, which is presently vacant.

It is famous for its orchards and its export of wood. Today it is best known for its oil refinery. It still contains citrus fruit orchards surrounded by green hills. On one of the hills is the imposing Margat Citadel, a huge fortress of black basalt stone.

History

In Phoenician times, it was an important seaport, known to the Greeks as Balemia. The city of Balanaea, its Latin name, was a colony of Aradus (Strabo, XVI, 753), and was placed by Stephanus Byzantius in Phoenicia, though it belonged rather to the former Roman province of Syria. Its first known bishop was present at the Council of Nicaea in 325 (Lequien, Oriens Christ., II, 923).

Sources and references

• "Nicolò Arrighetti". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02215a.htm. 
• GigaCatholic- Titular Sees

This article incorporates text from the entry Balanaea in the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.

Coordinates: 35°10′56″N 35°56′25″E / 35.18222, 35.94028

This Syria location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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