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.
it is one of the must places in antaktya i think we enjoyed it so much even with a young kid
This is a great museum. I live in Turkey and have been to many museums. This is a "must see", especially for the many and varied mosaics on display.
Considering the culturally high value of the mosaics in the museum, and comparing it to museums worldwide, I found that the exhibition could be improved greatly. Descriptions on site and in the guide books are not good enough. Relationships between the mosacis are not explained sufficiently (map usage, historical timelines, etc). Still, you simply must make a beeline to the…
The museum houses Roman / Byzantine mosaics from the 1st – 5th Century. Labels are in English and the museum is laid out perfectly, very professional.
Having seen mosiacs in other parts of europe, this was some of the best I've seen & the sarcophagus is just awesome and beautifully dsplayed.
The museum also houses ancient coins and some statues…
Incredible mosaics as well as artifacts from Hittites to Romans. The Antakya sarcophagus was my favorite.
I my life, I've visited many archeological museums , from Naples to Jordania and Sicily , but this one is for sure one of the best if not the Best. Not only are the mosaics splendid, but the way they are shown to the public is beautiful with perfect illumination and wide halls which enhance the beauty of the works…
While the museum may not be as large as the ones in Istanbul, there is an authentic feel about it. The mosaics and sarcophagus were so interesting and just plain beautiful. To get a feel of how much this region has changed nationalities is evident with all of the relics. Well worth the visit.
St Peters church (called St Pierres locally because of the former French colonial masters) is a short, well signposted walk from the centre. It is in a beautiful; spot below a cliff. It was the site of the first Christian Cathedral (supposed to have been owned by St Luke who gave it). St Peter and St Paul preached here.
You…
The church is a cave church and the facade of the cave dates 1000 years after it was used by early Christians. Barnabas and Paul the Apostle from Tarsus are believed to work here for Christian community, and there the converts were called Christians for the first time in history.
The actual location is closed for rennovation but even just looking up to where the first Christian Church in the World is was breathtaking! To think that we walked up as far as they would let us and to know that we were stepping in the same places as described in religous text was very provoking.