Qardaha

al-Qurdaha القَرْدَاحَة
Town
Mausoleum of Hafez al-Assad
al-Qurdaha Location in Syria
Coordinates: 35°27′26″N 36°03′35″E / 35.45722°N 36.05972°E / 35.45722; 36.05972
Country	Syria
Governorate	Latakia
District	Qardaha
Subdistrict	Qardaha
Elevation	420 m (1,380 ft)
Population  (2004)
• Total	8,671
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

Qardaha (Arabic: القَرْدَاحَة / ALA-LC: Qardāḥah) 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.^[1] It has a predominantly Alawite population and is the traditional home of the al-Assad family,^[2] which has ruled Syria since the 1970 Corrective Movement.

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 is found in the town center, and a huge mausoleum containing the graves of Bassel al-Assad and Hafez al-Assad is also located there. Hasan al-Khayer was also born in Qardaha.