Qardaha

Qardaha () is a town in northwestern Syria, in the mountains overlooking the coastal town of Latakia. Nearby localities include Kilmakho to the west, Bustan al-Basha to the southwest, Harf al-Musaytirah to the southeast and Muzayraa to the north. According to the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics, Qardaha had a population of 8,671 in 2004. It has a predominantly Alawite population and is the traditional home of the Assad family, which ruled Syria from 1970 until 2024. It is believed that many of Assad’s loyalists have fled to Qardaha after the end of the Assad regime in December 2024.

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, who ruled from 1970 to 2000, was born in Qardaha. Under Assad, the government poured massive investments into Qardaha, Latakia and the surrounding region. Qardaha has many luxurious villas. A major statue of Hafez al-Assad used to exist in the town center, and a huge mausoleum containing the graves of Bassel al-Assad and Hafez al-Assad was also previously located there. Hasan al-Khayer was also born in Qardaha.