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SAINT PIERRE:It's a grotto - church on the northwest of the city, near the Reyhanlı road and the only building in Antakya left from earliest days of Christianity. It is located on the foot of mountain (Hac) Stauris with 9.5 m width, 13 m depth and 7 m height. According to the ancient tradition, St. Paul, St. Peter and Barnabas met the Christian community and preached here.

The 5 th century and frescos which once covered all the walls on the right side of the altar. The tunnel opened into the church from the left was the road for the community to climb the mountain hide in the case of unexpected attack.

St. Pierre Church

The church which was lengthed a few metres in the time of the crusaders was bound to the front door. The front arch was built in an eastern style and with local materials and was restored by Kapuçin monks on the request of the Pope IX in 1863. They were helped by Napoleon III.

A front of it was kept by Porch and this was understood from the tracees on the left side.The front garden was used as a graveyard for a few centuries. There are graves around the altar in the church. It was considered the first cathedral in the world and was announced as a place of pilgrimage in 1963 by the Pope IV for the Christians. Mass celebrated in the on 29 June, the feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul. A representative from Vatican joins the celebrations every year.

THE TUNNEL OF VESPAISANUS A Roman construction, 5 km north of Samandağ. This city was founded by Selecus Nicator in 300 B.C. as the part of his new capital Antiochia. There was an inner port of the city on the mouth of the rivers which come from the mountain. The port was badly damaged by flood it was decided to to bore the mountain and open a tunnel. It was completed during the reign of Vespasius and Titus. To prevent flooding, The Titus Tunnel a dam was built and the water was flowed through a tunnel of 7 m height and 6 m width far away. Thus, the port was prevented from being damaged. The construction of the underground water channeel was about 30 m and totally it was about 1380 m from the beginning to Çevlik.

Titus Tüneli

There are rocky graves about 100 m away from the right side of the entrance of the tunnel. Lots of the graves here are carved into he rocks and the most interesting one is the large one in the floor of the hollow. There are a lot of graves in this cave, of which the most famous one was built differently, high and imposing, called “Beşikli Mağara”.

In the upper parts of the antique city there are sites of temples. Furthermore, there are more caves around the Mağaracık village.

THE STEEL ROCK GRAVE ( Çelik Kapı Mezarı)

It is near Vespasianus-Titus tunnel. There are 12 limestone carved 12 graves of rock from the Roman times. The largest and most famous of them is Beşikli Mağara (The Cave with Cradle).

Beşikli Mağara

HARBİYE (Daphne)

Harbiye, the gardens and water waterfalls of Daphne, the city of pleasure, is 6 km from Antakya. It is very cool because of the waterfalls, thus visited by local and foreign tourists. The springs which flow out from the south of the plateau, after forming lots of waterfalls, reach reach the River Asi. The names of these waterfalls in

antique times were Kastalia, Pallas and Saramanna.

Archeological resarches in Harbiye proved that the area was inhabited since 4500-3000 B.C.

In the Hellenistic and Roman times, the rich people in the antique age, built large estates and villas in order to go to the country. Seleucus Nikator I, one of generals of Alexander The Great, did not neglect to construct this area when he founded Antakya.

A view of Harbiye

The most important development was in the Hellnistic King Antiochus Epophanos. The Apollon temple was built in this age.

In the Roman period of the emperor Pompeus started to it. Later baths and villas were built by the other emperors.

This place was famed because of the competition and games for Apolloin the near east in the antique times. The Memluks captured it in 1268 and after that fortunes of Harbiye began to decline.

THE HATAY ARCHAOLOGY MUSEUM

The first scientific excavation started in 1932. On discovenirg vaaluable historic works, itwas decided to establish a museum.

A muuseum was built by Mişel Booşer at that time when Hatay when Hatay was a French Mandate. It was comleted in 1939 and the by 3 scientific commities were collected in the museum.

The museum was opened to the visitors on 23 July 1948, on the celebrating the independence day of Hatay.

New halls were added to the museum in 1974. It contains the works of art obtained from surrounding excavations. It is the 2nd big mosaic museum in the world.There are 18.000 archaologic works, 1050 etnıgraphic works, 13.850 coins 1.347 seals, totally 34.317 works in the museum.

The mosaics in the museum belong to the 2 nd and 5 th centuries of Roman and Byzantine periods and they are symbals of mythological events and people.

ISSOS :It is between Dörtyol and Erzin. It is located on the right side of İskenderun-Adana highway. It can be seen from the road,There are water warehouses, arches, temples, a castle and a harbour which was thought to be ruins of the Geneoese. Paayas was known as Baias in the antique times. Selim 2, charged Sokullu Mehmet Paşa to establish a castle administration here. Evliya Çelebi said that there 850 houses on the road of pilgrimage. .

İssos Ruins