HATAY (ANTAKYA)

The region is also considered the birthplace of Christianity. In St. Peter Felsenkirche the followers of Jesus were called Christians for the first time. In the Byzantine period, the city was then a bishop's seat. Today Antakya is a multicultural melting pot shaped by different cultures. The city is one of the most important Christian pilgrimage sites in the region. The sights include the Cave Church of St. Peter, the Archaeological Museum with one of the most important Roman mosaic collections, the Titus Tunnel and the cypress and laurel forests of Harbiye.

TITUS TUNEL

About 7 kilometers northwest of Samandag is the village of Magaricik, the modern successor settlement of the ancient port city of Seleukeia Pieria.

Because of the port city's regular and devastating floods, Emperor Vespasian (emperor from 69 to 79 AD) had a tunnel dug through the hard rock to channel water away from the city. The 1300 meter long, 7 meter high and 6 meter wide tunnel is an architectural marvel even by today's standards. The tunnel is partly destroyed but mostly accessible. Today, Mağaracık, together with neighboring Çevlik, is a popular bathing resort thanks to the beautiful sandy beach that runs between them.

ST. PIERRE CHURCH

The church consists of a portal built in the Crusader period, through which one enters a grotto, in which, according to legend, the apostle Peter is said to have founded the first community, which called itself Christians, a few years after the death of Jesus.

The place was declared holy by the Vatican in 1963 and has been a place of pilgrimage ever since. Every year on June 29th, the anniversary of Saint Peter's death, a festive service is held in the grotto. At the end of the grotto is a tunnel that is said to have served as an escape route for the first Christians.

HARBIYE

Today's Harbiye was called Daphne in ancient times and was the summer residence of the rich and famous of Antakya.

A laurel and cypress forest belongs to the site, which begins below the main road and leads for kilometers into the plain. According to Greek legend, the god Apollo imitated Daphne here, who turned into a laurel tree (Turkish Defne) out of desperation. Today, the entire grove is a popular excursion and picnic destination for the people of Antakya.

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