Where the word "Christian" was born
Antioch on the Orontes, today's Antakya, was one of the great cities of the ancient world: capital of the Seleucid kingdom and the third city of the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria. Paul and Barnabas preached here, and it was here, according to the Acts of the Apostles, that the followers of Jesus were first called "Christians". The city went on to be Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman, and it only became part of Türkiye in 1939.
You can still feel that history in the streets: Arabic and Turkish spoken side by side, churches of three Christian denominations, a synagogue and a cuisine unlike anything else in the country. The earthquakes of February 2023 hit Antakya very hard, the old town and several of those places of worship included. The city is being rebuilt, and visiting it is also a way of supporting it.
What to see
Hatay Archaeology Museum
Often described as the second-largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world, many of them from the villas of ancient Daphne, today's Harbiye: banquet scenes, theatre scenes and the famous "happy skeleton", who invites you to enjoy life. The modern building hangs them like paintings in a gallery; give the museum a whole morning. After the 2023 earthquakes the museum closed for reinforcement work; at the time of writing (2026) it is reopening in stages, starting with the mosaics, so check that it is open before you plan your day around it.
St Peter's Cave Church
A grotto on the slopes of Mount Starius where, according to tradition, the first Christians met and the apostle Peter preached. The Crusaders built the stone façade; inside you can still see traces of the mosaic floor and an escape tunnel. It is often called the oldest church in the world. The cave came through the 2023 earthquakes largely intact and reopened in 2024 after repairs to its steps and retaining wall.
Uzun Çarşı and the soap workshops
Antakya's Long Bazaar, with its laurel soap workshops (the same soap as the famous one from Aleppo), its künefe sellers and, all around, the alleys of the old town with their courtyard houses.
Arsuz and Vakıflı
On the coast, Arsuz is the fishing village where the people of Antakya go for Sunday lunch. On the slopes of Musa Dağı, Vakıflı is the last remaining Armenian village in Türkiye, with its church and its jam-making cooperative.
When to go
March to May and September to November, though early September can still be very warm. Summer is hot and humid; winter is mild and rainy.
How to get there
Hatay Airport has daily flights from Istanbul (under two hours). By road, Adana is about two hours away and Gaziantep about two and a half; many trips through the south-east end here, with the flight home from Adana.
What to eat
For me this is the best food in Türkiye, and I am not exaggerating: UNESCO named Hatay a Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017. Look out for tepsi kebabı, spiced minced meat baked in a tray; oruk, the local cousin of Syrian kibbeh; hummus topped with meat; zahter, a salad of fresh wild thyme; kağıt kebabı, minced meat baked on paper; katıklı ekmek, the local flatbread; and hot künefe made with Hatay's own cheese. Order meze and let them keep bringing more.
How to fit it in
Allow two days for the city and the coast. Hatay rounds off a route through the south-east that comes down from Gaziantep, or a trip that combines the Silk Road with the Arabic-speaking south of Türkiye.