LocationAntakya is the seat of the Hatay Province in southern Turkey near the border with Syria...
TravelAntakya airport is only 20km from the city centre with several daily direct fly from Ankara and Istanbul one of which connect with...
Hatay (Antakya)
Antakya is the seat of the Hatay Province in southern Turkey, near the border with Syria. In ancient times the city was known as Antioch and has historical significance for Christianity, being the place where the followers of Jesus Christ were called Christians for the very first time. The city and its massive walls also played an important role during the Crusades.
The city of Antakya today
Mount Habib Neccar and the ancient city walls which climb the hillsides symbolize Antakya, making the city a formidable fortress built on a series of hills running north-east to south-west. Antakya was originally centered on the eastern bank of the river but since the 19th century the city has expanded with new neighborhoods built on the plains across the river to the south-west, and there are four bridges across the river linking the old and new cities. However, as in so much of Turkey, the buildings of the last two decades are all concrete blocks, and Antakya has lost much of its classic beauty. The narrow streets of the old city can be clogged with traffic.
Although the port of Iskenderun has become the largest city in Hatay, Antakya is a provincial capital still of considerable importance as the centre of a large district, growing in wealth and productiveness with the draining of Lake Amik. The town is a lively shopping and business centre with many restaurants, cinemas and other amenities, centered on a large park opposite the governor's building and the central avenue Kurtulus Street.