Ancient In
Phoenician and Hellenistic times, it was an important seaport. Some have identified it with the Hellenistic city of
Leucas (from colonists from the island
Lefkada), in Greece, mentioned by
Stephanus of Byzantium. It was a colony of
Aradus, and was placed by Stephanus in the late
Roman province of
Phoenicia, though it belonged rather to the province of
Syria. In
Greek and
Latin, it is known as
Balanaea or
Balanea (Βαλανέαι).
Modern During the early 21st century
Syrian civil war, rebel sources reported that a
massacre took place on 2 May 2013, perpetrated by regime forces. On 3 May, another massacre was, according to
SOHR, perpetrated in the Ras al-Nabaa district of Baniyas causing hundreds of
Sunni residents to flee their homes. According to one opposition report, a total of 77 civilians, including 14 children, were killed. Another two opposition groups documented, by name, 96–145 people who are thought to have been executed in the district. Four pro-government militiamen and two soldiers were also killed in the area in clashes with rebel fighters.
2025 massacres After the
overthrow of the Assad regime in late 2024, several massacres were occurring throughout the country with the most notable recent incident on the coast affecting several areas, including Baniyas city. From 6 March 2025, according to the UK-based
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), over 1,000 people were killed in clashes between militias loyal to the
HTS and militias loyal to the deposed president
Bashar al-Assad, including more than 745 confirmed civilian deaths caused by the current government forces and the Syrian security forces. The massacres occurring negatively affected the
Alawite population in the area causing many to flee. ==Climate==