Antakya

Antakya, Turkey

The arched cave mouth of the Church of Saint Peter in the Mount Staurin cliff above Antakya glows in late afternoon sun.

Antakya, ancient Antioch on the Orontes, is a Levantine city of layered faiths, mosaics and kitchens, now rebuilding after the 2023 earthquakes.

The place

Antakya lies in a fertile, well-watered valley on the Orontes River, in Hatay, the southernmost province of Turkey, a short run inland from the Mediterranean coast. It is the Turkish form of Antioch, and the modern city stands partly on top of the ancient one, at about 67 metres above sea level. Its population is just under four hundred thousand, and the wider district takes in villages and farmland as well as the city itself. The setting explains much: a river, olive and citrus country, and a position where Anatolia, Syria and the sea meet. That crossroads shows in the languages, the food and the mix of faiths, which has long included Sunni and Alawite Muslims and several Christian communities. Visitors should know the city is not the one in older photographs. The 2023 earthquakes destroyed large parts of the old centre, including the fish market and much of the eating strip along Hürriyet Caddesi, and rebuilding is still under way. Some mosques and museums have been repaired, others are closed or half-restored, and road and rail links have been disrupted. What remains is quieter than most tourist cities in the region and depends heavily on local goodwill. Streets are dusty, building sites are everywhere and services are patchy. The reward is a place where Roman mosaics, a cave church and a lively table are still within a short drive of each other, and where people are glad of visitors who arrive with realistic expectations.

Its story

Antakya's story begins long before the city that carries its name. Excavations at nearby Alalakh show people living in this valley since the Chalcolithic period. The place enters the written record when Alexander the Great marched down the Orontes after his victory at Issus. After his death, his general Seleucus I Nicator founded Antioch here in 301 BCE. The city grew into a Seleucid capital and then, under Rome, the capital of the province of Syria, a major city of the empire. It became an early centre of Christianity. The New Testament says the word 'Christian' was first used here, and Saint Peter is linked with the cave church on the slope above town. Under the Byzantines the city gained further church importance. Control then passed repeatedly. Persian armies took it more than once, an Arab army under Umar ibn al-Khattab captured it in the seventh century, and Byzantines, Seljuks, Crusaders and Mamluks each held it in turn. The Ottomans absorbed it in the early sixteenth century and tied it to Aleppo's administration. That long sequence left Antakya with few grand monuments still standing but a deep layer of buried ones. Builders preparing a site for a new building once uncovered ancient remains, and the result is a museum beneath a structure raised on pillars. Earthquakes have always been part of the story, and those of 2023 again broke much of what centuries had built.

What to see

Culture

Antakya has long been a place where several communities live side by side, and its character comes from that mix. Turkish and Arabic are both heard, Sunni and Alawite Muslims share the district with Orthodox and other Christians, and religious festivals of different traditions have traditionally been part of the calendar. The Alawite shrine of Hızır, set in a modern building in the middle of a traffic island, is a reminder that worship here is not confined to old monuments. The cooking is the clearest expression of this blend. It is usually described as Levantine rather than Turkish, with bulgur, spices, sesame, yoghurt and cheese appearing in ways more familiar in Syria and Lebanon than in central Anatolia. Hospitality matters, and a visitor is likely to be offered tea or coffee in a shop or at a workshop door. The earthquakes have shaken community life, and many families are scattered or living in temporary housing. Conversations may turn to loss, so listen first and let people lead. Spending money in local shops, cafés and eateries is one practical way to help, and it is appreciated. Alcohol is served in restaurants and cafés, but this is a conservative province, so keep behaviour low-key. Cover your shoulders and knees, take off your shoes before entering any mosque or shrine, and ask permission before photographing worshippers or anyone's damaged home.

What to wear

Antakya's traditional dress belongs to the wider Levantine and Anatolian village world. Older women in the surrounding countryside still wear şalvar, the full trousers gathered at the ankle, with printed or embroidered headscarves, usually in cotton. Men's older clothing was loose trousers, a waistcoat and a cloth headwrap, mostly in cotton and wool. Such dress now appears mainly at weddings, festivals and folklore events, and some of the finer cloth is kept as family heirloom. Everyday clothing is plainly modern: jeans, shirts, trainers and tracksuits for most men, and for women everything from fitted coats and headscarves to uncovered hair, depending on family and neighbourhood. Business wear is smart but unfussy. Many people are still in practical, hard-wearing clothes because of rebuilding work and temporary living. A visitor should dress for heat and modesty together. In the warm months, light cotton or linen with long sleeves and trousers or long skirts works well, with a hat and sunglasses against the strong sun. Carry a scarf for mosque visits, since women may be asked to cover their hair and everyone should cover shoulders and knees. Shoes need to be sturdy and easy to slip off, because the streets are dusty and uneven, building sites are common and the cave church and hill sites involve rough ground. In winter, bring a waterproof layer, as the rain can be heavy.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. April–May and October–November, when the Mediterranean-influenced climate is mild and walking is comfortable. Summers are hot and humid, so plan outdoor visits for early morning, and winter brings rain.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. The airport lies north of the city centre. A Havas airport bus is meant to meet flights and run downtown, but confirm it is operating, and otherwise take a dolmuş or taxi. The nearest rail station is at Iskenderun, and trains from Adana and Mersin have been suspended for track works, so check before relying on them. Long-distance buses from Istanbul take most of a day. When booking online, choose 'Hatay' as the destination because bus sites do not recognise 'Antakya'. The intercity bus station is on the bypass northwest of the centre and still uses makeshift facilities, with dolmuşes running into town. By road, the toll motorway reaches Adana and then runs east on a fast divided highway.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources