8 Best Sights in Antakya (Antioch), The Turquoise Coast

The highlights of this huge, impressive museum are its dozens of Roman mosaics, which hint at the glorious past of old Antioch. Experts consider works in the collection here—one of the largest in the world, portraying scenes from mythology and replete with figures such as Dionysus, Orpheus, Oceanus, and Thetis—to rank among the highest achievements of Roman art.

The Catholic Church maintains its presence with a small sanctuary run by Capuchin monks. It is set in a garden on Kutlu Sokak, several winding blocks in from the river. Enter its small courtyard from the side street. You might recognize the image of the church bell, with the minaret of the Sermaye Mosque behind—it's on tourist office brochures as a symbol of religious harmony. Mass is usually held here every Sunday evening at 5 or 6 depending on the time of year; it's a good idea to call ahead and confirm.

Popularly dated from the 7th century, this is called Turkey's oldest mosque. More likely, a church of John the Baptist originally stood here, replacing a temple, and this was converted to a mosque, then back to a church by the crusaders, then destroyed in 1268 by the Mamluk Sultan Baybars, who had the current building constructed. It has since been much restored. A side chamber contains two sarcophagi, labeled as the prophet Jonah and John the Baptist, while downstairs are the tombs of Habib-i Neccar, an otherwise unidentified early Christian martyr mentioned in the Koran, and Sham’un al-Safa (Simon the Loyal), perhaps the Apostle Simon Peter. All presumably survive from the Byzantine church and, with that pedigree, could even be genuine.

Originally called Daphne, this beautiful gorge of laurel trees and tumbling waterfalls was said to have been chosen by the gods for the Judgment of Paris and contained one of the ancient world's most important shrines to the god Apollo. Daphne was also a favorite resort for wealthy Antiochenes and developed such a reputation for licentiousness that it was put off-limits to the Roman army. Nothing ancient survives, but this is still a popular escape, especially in the heat of summer, and there are many open-air cafés and restaurants, all fairly similar, overlooking the streams and cascades. Mark Antony chose Daphne as the venue for his ill-fated marriage to Cleopatra in 40 BC, and many of the mosaics at the Hatay Museum were found in the area's ancient villas.

Remnants of ancient Antioch uncovered accidentally during construction of the Museum Hotel Antakya have been preserved in situ underneath the hotel as a museum, with walkways above impressively large and detailed Roman mosaics, the remains of a Roman bath, and sections of the old stone streets. A small display area contains a handful of the 30,000 artifacts found here, and video depictions of the history of the site, the excavation, and the construction of the museum and hotel.

The Samandağ district of Hatay province, located between Antakya and the Mediterranean Coast, is rich in historic sites and natural beauty and makes for a worthwhile day trip with a guide or in your own car. On a windswept hill east of Route 420 sit the ruins of the Monastery of Symeon Stylites the Younger (free, about 20 km/12.5 miles southwest of Antakya, look for the modern windmills), an important pilgrimage center in early Christianity named for an ascetic monk who lived atop a pillar. On the other side of the highway, a winding road leads into the green foothills of Musa Dağı (Mt. Musa), home to Turkey’s last Armenian village, Vakıflı, a bucolic little spot with breakfast cafés; a small museum; and a shop selling local jams, spices, olives, and fruit liquors. The cafés in the shade of Musa Ağacı (Moses Tree), a giant plane tree said to be 3,000 years old, are another popular place to stop.

From Kapısuyu, the last village before the road heads down to the coast, there’s the scant remains of the ancient temple site Dor Mabedi and a panoramic viewpoint from which you can see where water running off the mountains once entered the Titus Tunnel. The tunnel itself, an eye-poppingly massive piece of Roman engineering, is part of the Çevlik Archaeological Site along with the rock tombs of Beşikli Cave (15 TL admission, about 6 km/4 miles north of Samandağ town). You can easily stop off in Harbiye on the drive back to Antakya.

On the northern edge of town is Sen Piyer Kilisesi, or Saint Peter Church—a tiny cave high up on a cliff, blackened by centuries of candle smoke and dripping with water that seeps out of the rocks. According to tradition, this is where the apostle secretly preached to his converts and where they first came to be called Christians. Now operated as a museum, it is one of the oldest churches in existence; the facade you see, however, was added by the crusaders in the 11th to 12th century. The area around it was a cemetery in classical times, and there are numerous rock-cut tombs and tunnels.

A scrambly path leads up to the giant carved face of Charon, the legendary boatman who took the dead across the River Styx. Adventurous visitors can follow the valley just south to view a large section of the Byzantine walls, which also served as a bridge and dam. The church was declared a site of pilgrimage by Pope Paul VI, and the Catholic Church traditionally holds a religious service here on the 29th of June.

As historic and lively as the city itself, Antakya’s Uzun Çarşı (Long Bazaar) is a feast for the senses, a maze of covered and open streets full of shops piled high with spices, handmade soaps, clothes, kitchenware, jewelry, and much more. Tucked among them are multiple small mosques, quiet little courtyards, lively eateries, snack vendors, and traditional wood-oven fırıns (bakeries). The restored Kurşunlu Han near the center of the bazaar houses cafés and more tourist-oriented stores selling local handicrafts. At its northern end, the bazaar spills out into Antakya’s open-air produce market.