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 Kesab, Kessab, Kasap is a town in Syria. Armenians settled in Kessab in the 16th century but the community was established only in the 18th century. During the Ottoman rule it was the part of Aleppo vilayet (province). In 1911 there lived  6,1 thousand and in 1915 of about 8 thousand Armenians.  Armenians greatly suffered from the massacres in Cilicia in 1909. During the Armenian Genocide Kessab Armenians were deported, about 5 thousand people were killed. 

The number of Armenians significantly reduced as a result of migration from Kessab and surrounding villages in the following decades. In 1946-47, 2,4 thousand (by other data 3,8 thousand) Armenians immigrated Soviet Armenia from Kessab and surrounding villages (Bashord, Ekiz-ouluk, Khayit, Chakhaljekh, Chinar , etc.). 

In 1950-60 hundreds of Armenian families moved to Lebanon, USA, Canada. Nonetheless, Kessab remains one of the important Armenian communities in Syria. 

Nowadays (2003) 1,5 thousand Armenians live in Kessab. The community has a local governmental body i. e. town council (subject to the Governor of Latakia). 

The Holy Mother of God (Virgin Mary) Armenian Apostolic Church (built in the 19th century), Saint Michael the Archangel Armenian Catholic Church (built in 1926) and the Holy Trinity Armenian Evangelical Church (built in 1909), as well as the Armenian National High School of Ousumnasirats (founded in 1848),  the Armenian Evangelical Martyrs’ school and the Good Hope Armenian Catholic school are functioning in Kessab. The National Library, (founded in 1910), Homenmen (Armenian: Հայ Մարմնամարզական Միութիւն (Հ.Մ.Մ.) English: Armenian Sports Union), Homenetmen (Armenian: Հայ Մարմնակրթական Ընդհանուր Միութիւն, (ՀՄԸՄ) English: Armenian General Gymnastic Union),  AGBU (Armenian: Հայ Բարեգործական Ընդհանուր Միութիւն, (ՀԲԸՄ) English: Armenian General Benevolent Union), the branches of Hamazgayini in Kessab, the union of Armenian Church-Loving  women (founded in 1924), etc. are also functioning in Kessab. 

Nowadays the following villages populated only by Armenians remained out of the dozens villages existing in 1950-60s.

Baghjaghaz (Paghjaghaz) village was inhabited by 57 (113) Armenian families in 1913. The village was divided into two parts:  upper Baghjaghaz (several Armenian families in 2013) and lower Baghjaghaz (a dozen of Armenian families in 2003). There is also a Catholic monastery in Baghjaghaz. 

Duzaghaj (Tuzaghaj) village was inhabited by 22 (113) Armenian families in 1911 and 15 Armenian families in 1915. 

Karadouran (Garatouran, Galatouran) village was inhabited by 1381 Armenians in 1913 and 450 Armenians in 2003. Armenian Evangelical church was built in 1873 and Holy Mother of God Armenian Apostolic Church was built in 1880. The latter was destroyed because of landslide. New Holy Mother of God Church was built in 1960 (consecrated in 1962) and St. Stephen church was built in 1908 (it was renovated in 1987 by the Armenian-French organization "Yergir yev Mshaguyt" (Country and Culture)). A small number of Armenians live in Esguran (Nerki Kegh (meaning the lower village in Armenian, 178 Armenian families lived there in 1913, in 1913 116 and about 20 Armenian families lived there in 2003), in Sev Aghpyur (Gayajq, 445 Armenians lived there in 1911, 247 Armenians in 1913 and 46 Armenians in 2003), Keorkeune (Keorkeuna, Kourkun (193 Armenians lived there in 1913, 58 Armenians in 2003) and in other villages.