Table of contents
Culture and History / Travel to Antakya, visa requirements / By air / By train / Buses to Antakya / Get around / Antakya attractions and sightseeing / City tours / Shopping, Antakya souvenirs / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Antakya nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / Contact / Get outAntakya, also known as Antioch or Antioch-on-the-Orontes, is a city in Hatay Province, Mediterranean Turkey. It is not to be confused with Antalya, another city in Mediterranean Turkey, but located several hundred kilometers to west from Antakya.
Culture and History
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, as well as Judaism, are all represented with their dedicated temples in Antakya.
The city is not located on the sea-shore, but Asi River (formerly known as Orontes River) flows through it.
The city is the capital of Hatay Province.
Travel to Antakya - Visa Requirements
By air
Domestic flights are available to Hatay Airport, 25 km from the city center. However, nearest international airport is located in Adana, located a couple hundred kilometres to the north
By train
Nearest station is in Iskenderun, which has several daily train connections with Adana and Mersin.
Buses to Antakya
Has Turizm operates comfortable buses from all major cities in Turkey. There are also bus connections with Aleppo, Syria.
Tours and Getting around Antakya
Antakya tourist attractions and sightseeing
- Mosaic Museum (Mozaik Müzesi) in the city has the second largest collection of classical/Roman mosaics in the world.
Antakya city tours
Antakya souvenirs and shopping
- Thanks to the large laurel (Laurus nobilis) groves on the mountains surrounding the city, laurel soaps (defne sabunu, also known as garlı sabun locally), which are said to have some benefits on the skin and hair, are unique to this city and are made of local olive oil with some laurel extract stirred in.
Antakya Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive
The city is known for its tasty cuisine (one of the most delicious in Turkey), which has many Middle Eastern influences.
Antakya nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs
Antakya cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging
- Ottoman Palace a five-star thermal resort and spa convention center.
- Büyük Antakya Oteli a four-star hotel in the city.
Contact
Telephone code of Antakya is 326.
Get out
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