Antakya, also known as Antioch, Antioch-on-the-Orontes is the capital of Hatay Province, Mediterranean Turkey. It is not to be confused with Antalya, another city in Mediterranean Turkey, several hundred kilometers to the west.
This city in the very south of Turkey was an important centre of early Christianity, with some of the first non-hidden churches. Today it’s a truly multicultural place, where you can hear prayers in many different tongues. Many sects of Christianity (Greek Orthodoxy, Syriac Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism to name a few) and Islam (Sunni and Alawi), as well as Judaism, are all represented with their dedicated temples in Antakya.
Ethnically, Arabs constitute almost half of the population whereas the other half is constituted by Turks. Arabs in the city speak Levantine (Shami) dialect of Arabic, which is also prevalent in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
The city is not located on the sea-shore, but the Asi River (formerly known as the Orontes River) flows through the city center.
Church of St. Peter in Antakya : One of the oldest churches of Christianity.
Must see places in Antakya
- Mosaic Museum (Mozaik Müzesi) or the Antakya Archeological Museum in the city has the second largest collection of classical/Roman mosaics in the world. The museum also features a good coin collection, artifacts from the Iron and Bronze ages found in sites nearby and a very impressive sarcophagus with great reliefs. You can check many items from the collection through the official website of the museum.
- One of the oldest churches of Christianity, Church of St. Peter, is a must see in Antakya. Entrance to the church is 8 lira (as of Nov 2010). The church is about a 30 minute walk from the museum. To reach the church you need to go across from the museum, through the bazaar and at the end (when you exit the bazaar) make a left and go on for about over a kilometer – the church will be visible up on the hillside.
- Büyük Antakya Parkı is the park that is located just in the midst of the city, by the River Asi and behind the famous mosaic museum of the city. Many locals visit the park during the day, and especially early in the morning to do sports. Note that there are many open air tea houses within the park, hence it’s the address to go for a tea or coffee or hookah when the weather is nice.
- Titus Tunnel, Cevlik, Samandağı, Antakya. The Titus Tunnel (Titüs Tüneli) is a Roman engineering marvel. During the reign of Emperor Vespasian (69-79 AD), the Roman governors of Seleucia Pieria (Samandag), the port city for Antioch ad Orontes (Antakya), decided to divert a river. They put Roman legionnaires, sailors and prisoners to work cutting a channel along and through the rock for about 1.4 km (nearly a mile). Continued under Emperor Titus (79-81), inscriptions tell us it was completed during the reigns of the Antonine emperors decades later. Today the channel is dry, but still worth a visit. A small parking area and entrance is just inland from the beach at Samandag. A path ascends along the channel, open to the sky, up and down steps and rocks, to where an arched limestone footbridge crosses. Above the footbridge, the channel continues into the solid rock. You’ll need a powerful flashlight/torch to continue.
Once in Antakya, this museum should be among the first places to visit. It was open back in 1948 and latest amendment was made in 2000 when the big and very impressive sarcophagus was put in display. Many people mistake this museum for a mosaic museum as it has the second largest mosaic collection in the world, but this is…
Antakya museum building and display is outdated yet the quality and chronolgy of mosaics are excellent , not to be missed if visiting Antakya . I am glad to hear that a new museum building is started to be constructed nowadays.
Antakya museum is the largest collection of mosaics outside Tunisia and has some particularly delicate specimens. The initial room has small mosaicsd but the second room with them on the floor and the walls takes your breath away.
Not easy to get to up the winding up hill roads. You need a decent vehicle to get there. Nice Armenian church and store. People friendly. Great views of the area
We have been a few times to the Antakya old quarters and both enjoy 'getting lost' and finding our way to our favorite soap maker. Walking with my husband and even alone during the day, we/I have always felt completely at ease and safe. Nobody has hustled or bugged us, ever! Very peaceful experience, even during hot August and when…
My friend drove me through this city which is across the river. I just got a good feeling that this was the place where Paul and Barnabas stayed for over a year teaching the early disciples from the gentile background. Here also there is a Born Again church which functions on the New Testament Pattern.
Whether or not you accept/believe that this was one of the first Christian churches, it is an interesting bit of archaeology and architecture. Read a little of the reported history before going to help you understand what you're seeing. Most interesting to me was standing at the entrance door and looking back at the city seeing the minarets sticking up….
İ had great expectations about mosaics but i am disappointed. Mosaics are beautiful and fascinating but they are not protected very well. İ couldn't find any barcovision and there is no any place where having rest. But still i believe it has potantial about the future of the mosaics and perception of the museum. And i have good news for…
Especially the mosaics draw the attention here, as they are of great quality and quatity. The setting is not as good and modern as Gaziantep but here you are much closer to them and surrounded really by a lot of them. Also nice collection of coins. entrance 8 try, free for kids
come and see antakya archaeological museum. you'll like.