This article is about Antioch of Syria. For the Article about Pisidian Antioch, see Pisidian Antioch.
Syrian Antioch, also called Antioch on the Orontes because it was on the Orontes River (today’s Asi Irmak), was one of the greatest cities of the Greco-Roman world. It was second only to Alexandria, Egypt, and rivaled Ephesus and Rome.
Antioch was located on several major land and sea trade routes, including the Silk Road, a 6,400-kilometer (4,000-mile) network of roads stretching from Antioch east to Persia, India, and China.
Surrounded by mountains and based on the Orontes, Antioch had numerous grand public buildings and two theaters. There was a grand imperial palace on an island in the Orontes, a large agora (public market) with a nymphaeum fed by an aqueduct, opulent public baths, and a hippodrome for horse and chariot racing modeled on the Circus Maximus in Rome. It was the venue for the Olympic games under Roman Emperor Commodus (reigned 177—192 AD). Ancient writers described the city as being extraordinarily beautiful.
Antioch’s main street, along the Orontes, was grandly colonnaded and illuminated with torches, making it the first artificially illuminated street in history. That street, minus the colonnade and torches, is today’s Kurtulus Caddesi (Turkish: Liberation Street).
The city was somewhat inland, so it had a seaport at Seleucia Pieria (called Seleucia in the Book of Acts), some 19 kilometers (12 miles) southwest down the river on the Mediterranean Coast. From Seleucia, the Apostle Paul set out on all three of his missionary journeys.
Antioch had a multicultural population of around 200,000, consisting of Romans, Greeks, Persians, Jews, Syrians, and Phoenicians, who lived with each other in peace most of the time.
For Christians today, Antioch is important because it was the first place where followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Today, Christians from around the world go to Antioch to visit Saint Peter’s Cave, which is considered by tradition to be the first Christian church.
The modern city of Antakya covers practically all of ancient Antioch. However, the Hatay Archaeological Museum and the Museum Hotel house many relics of the ancient city.
The Hatay Archaeological Museum (in Antakya) has one of the world’s best collections of ancient mosaics.
The Museum Hotel (also in Antakya) has a surprising history. As digging was being done for the hotel’s foundation, workers discovered thousands of artifacts and uncovered the largest Roman floor mosaic in the world. After the archaeological dig was complete, the hotel was built above it on pylons. The site is open to the public.
Historical Timeline of Antioch
Antioch in the Bible
Peter was the first of Jesus’s disciples to go to Antioch. For some 300 years before Christianity arrived, Antioch had a large Jewish population since many Jews relocated there to escape persecution. Because of that, it played a role in developing Christian doctrine. For example, in the Book of Galatians, Paul writes about his opposition to Peter because Peter insisted that Gentile Christians follow Jewish laws. For these reasons, Antioch is often called “the cradle of Christianity.” It is also the place where followers of Jesus were first called “Christians.”
Antioch is also likely the place where the Gospel of Matthew was written
The Apostle Barnabus, originally from Salamis, Cyprus, was an early church leader in Antioch. He brought the Apostle Paul to Antioch to assist in training new disciples. Later, Antioch was the home base for all three of Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys. Barnabus accompanied Paul on the first journey, and Salamis was the first place they went.
Biblical References
Acts 6:5; 11:19—30; 13:1—3; 14:26—15:3; 15:22—40; 18:22—23
Galatians 2:11—16
1 Maccabees 3:37; 4:35; 6:63; 10:68; 11:13, 44, 56
2 Maccabees 4:9, 33; 5:21; 8: 35; 11:36; 13:23, 26; 14:27
Where is Antioch?
Antioch (now called Antakya) is located in Türkiye’s Hatay province, near the Syrian border on the Mediterranean (southern) coast.
Map of Antioch
Important! If you’re on-site at Antioch, you can use your mobile device with the navigable version of this map to see exactly where you are in relation to the various buildings there. CLICK HERE for the large Google map.
What To See at Antioch
Unfortunately, not much remains of Ancient Antioch. The city suffered greatly from earthquakes, plagues, and repeated attacks, especially by the Arabs who conquered it in 637 AD. Now, ancient Antioch lies under the modern city of Antakya or is deeply covered by alluvial material deposited over time by the Orontes (Asi) River.
However, the Hatay Archaeological Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of Roman mosaics, displays numerous artifacts from ancient Antioch. The museum alone makes Antakya worth visiting.
Church of Saint Peter
Also called “Saint Peter’s Grotto” and “Senpiyer Kilisesi” in Turkish, this ancient church is contained in a natural cave on the western slope of Stauris Mountain. According to tradition, this is where the Apostle Peter first preached the Gospel and consolidated the Christian community in the city between 29 and 40 AD.
The church has mosaic floors (added in the fourth or fifth century AD), traces of frescoes, and a Gothic-style façade that was added to the front of the cave by Crusaders in the 12th or 13th century AD. The Crusaders also carved the church to have three naves and added columns and vaults.
Inside the church is an altar, a marble statue of Saint Nicholas, a basin for holy water, and a tunnel for people to escape if the church were attacked.
Every June 29th, the Feast Day of Saint Peter, a special service is held here.
Hatay Archaeological Museum
Also called the Mosaic Museum, this is the place to see Ancient Antioch. It houses artifacts from both the Christian and Muslim periods. Displays include mosaics from the second to the sixth centuries AD. Many of these came from Daphne, a nearby resort for rich Romans. They are primarily floor mosaics from villas, but some are from public buildings and baths. They depict mythological scenes, animals and plants, and everyday life.
Also displayed are statues and statuettes of various gods, finds from Httite and Assyrian cities, and sarcophagi, many of which are exquisitely carved and decorated, including the famous “Antioch Sarcophagus.” The garden section has more mosaics, statues, and sarcophagi.
Virtual Tour of the Hatay Archaeological Museum
The website of Türkiye’s General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums has an excellent virtual tour of the Hatay Archaeological Museum.
The Museum Hotel
When construction began on this hotel, the workers discovered an ancient Roman site. Rather than abandoning the project, the developers worked with the municipality and the archaeological museum to first excavate the site and then build the hotel on pylons above it.
Archaeologists found some 35,000 artifacts dating back to the third century BC and discovered the world’s largest single-piece Roman floor mosaic (over 11,000 square meters (36,000 square feet). The archaeological site is now the Necmi Asfuroğlu Archaeology Museum, where you can view the site and the mosaic from the walkways above. The hotel, which seems to float above the ruins, is the Museum Hotel.
Hatay Archaeological Museum
Opening Hours
Open every day except Monday, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 13:30 to 17:30.
Address: Maşuklu Mahallesi Atatürk Caddesi, Antakya, Hatay, Türkiye
Google Coordinates: 36.21994290547451, 36.184849725232574
Telephone: +90 (326) 225-1060
Website: hatay.ktb.gov.tr.
E-mail: hataymuzesi@ktb.gov.tr
Google Coordinates: 36.220047, 36.185414
Saint Peter’s Cave Church
Address: Küçükdalyan, 31020 Antakya, Hatay, Türkiye. It is on the northeast edge of Antioch, three kilometers (two miles) from the city center.
Google Coordinates: 36.209474236409655, 36.17872047795546
Opening Hours
Summer (1 April to 31 October): 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM.
Winter (1 November to 31 March): 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Note: The ticket offices close 30 minutes before the museum closing times.
Museum Hotel
Address: St. Pierre Mevkii, Haraparası Mahallesi, Hacılar Sokak No:26/1 Antakya, 31060 Hatay, Türkiye
Telephone: +90 (326) 290 0000
Google Coordinates: 36.212109803634775, 36.173726396985394
How to go to Antioch (Antakya)
- From the Adana airport, in the capital city of Adana province, drive Highway E91 east for 140 kilometers (87 miles).
- Turn left (southeast) onto Highway D817 and drive 22.5 kilometers (14 miles).
- Turn right (south) onto Highway D825 and drive 28 kilometers (17 miles) to Antakya.
Ken Grubb
I’m a retired US military investigator and crime scene specialist who has lived in Türkiye for over twenty years. I love learning about and investigating Türkiye’s ancient Christian sites. My archaeologist friends tell me that my old job is much like theirs!
