Antakya

Located to the east of the Gulf of Iskenderun in the south of the Anatolian Peninsula, it stretches over the plain Amik irrigated by the river Asi. As a result of the excavations carried out in the 17 living levels in Alalakh in Tel Achana located 22 km to the east of the city of today it has been revealed that the history of the area dates back to the prehistoric times. The name of Alalakh located to the southeast of the Que/Plain Cilicia means "Six Countries" in the Scythian/Khatti language. Life which evolved through various historical epochs here ceased upon the Assyrian assault. Subsequently, the settlement was rebuilt when the cave with a fertile and marshy front in the rocky site located to the northeast of the river Asi today was used as the Sanctuary of the Mother Goddess. The main urbanization started with the city founded in honour of Antiochos, the son of the Seleucid King Nicator. The city which was brought under the Roman jurisdiction in 64 B.C. was appointed the residence of Saint Petrus during the early Christian periods and the previous Temple of Mother Goddess was used as a church and thus, a Christian congregation was created. During the Byzantine era, on the other hand, the name of the city was changed into "Theopolis", meaning the City of God. The area was captured by the Arabs in the 7th century followed by the Crusaders in 1098 and the Mameluken Khan Baybars in 1268 and was annexed to the Ottoman lands in 1517. The most remarkable work of art in the city is the Church of St.Petrus which was converted into a church from the Grotto Temple of the Mother Goddess by the Christian Saint Petrus. There are stairs leading up to the grotto church measuring 15 m long by 10 m wide and 7 m high with its front face wall of the Gothic architectural order. There are coloured mosaic paving on the floor and frescoes on the walls visible. In the centre of the rock-carved apse of the church there is the statue of the Holy Virgin Mary and next to it, a sacred pool, The other works in the city are the 10 m long Roman aqueducts in Defne/Taphe, Roman dwellings, 4-arched Roman bridge, Seleucos Castle on the Mount Neccar and the Castle of Kurs,at in the Village of Sofular and the remains of the ancient city Emma in Yeni§ehir. Antakya has the second largest mosaic museum in the world and the mythological mosaic instants uncovered in the area are on display. Furthermore, there are over 150 mounds belonging to the prehistoric times in Teltainat, El Cudeyde, Alalak and Tel Achana in the area.