The activities of the modern town are based mainly on the agricultural produce of the adjacent area, including the intensively cultivated Amik plain. The chief crops are wheat, cotton, grapes, rice, olives, vegetables, and fruit. The town has soap and olive-oil factories and cotton ginning and other processing industries. Silk, shoes, and knives are also manufactured. Important archaeological discoveries have been made there. Pop. (1985) 107,821.

Antakya, the biblical Antioch, is situated on the Asi River (Orontes) in a fertile surrounding. Antakya was once the capital of the Seleucid kings and the life they lead in Antakya was renowned for its luxury and pleasures during Roman times. The city was the center of Christianity and had been visited by St.Barnabas, St.Paul and St.Peter. The city was also famous as a center of artistic, scientific and commercial activities.

The Hatay Museum deserves a particular interest, in that it houses one of the richest collections of Roman mosaics in the world.

A little outside the city is the holy site where St.Peter's Grotto is situated. The cave church is the place where St.Peter preached and founded the Christian community. It was declared as a holy place by Vatican in 1983. The Iron Gate of Antioch is to the south of the grotto among the ruins of the city. One can sense these far off times since little has changed since that time. The Castle of Antioch will give you a panoramic view over.

Antakya is steeped in history and mythology at every step Harbiye, 8 km. after Antioch, is the place where Apollo fell in love with Daphne and tried to have her, but Mother Earth, in order to save Daphne, turned her into an elegant tree. The site is full of these trees accompanying the orchid gardens, and waterfalls where you may have a pleasant meal. St. Pierre Church, Haron Carving are the main historical remains.

For both beach and sightseeing opportunities Samandag is perfect. Seleuica Pieria, 6 km south of Samandag, is the ancient city which was a busy port at the time when Paul and Barnabas made their first missionary journey from here. The Titus-Vespasianus Tunnel which was built to divert the rain waters, even by today's standard, is a superb example of engineering. Near by there are 12 rock tombs to be visited.

A drive to Kapisuyu village will provide you with a fascinating scene from the Zeus Temple. There is an excellent view from there of the harbor, sandy beach and fertile plain lying below.

There are many picnic and camping areas. Hunting, fishing and thermal springs' facilities are the other attractions.

ANTIOCH or ANTAKYA, city, S Turkey, capital of Hatay Province, on the Orontes R., near the Mediterranean Sea. The modern city is a trade and processing center for the adjacent agricultural plain. Citrus fruit and grapes are grown in abundance; other important crops are olives, melons, wheat, and cotton. Manufactured products include soap, silk and leather goods, and metal handicrafts.

It was the ancient capital of the Seleucid dynasty in Syria and of a province of the Roman Empire. The city was founded in 301 BC by Seleucus I, one of the generals and successors of Alexander the Great. Strategically located at the crossroads of important caravan routes, it soon became a center of commerce and one of the leading cities of the world, famous for a magnificence of architecture rivaled only by Rome and Alexandria. When Syria was conquered by Rome in 64 BC, Antioch became the eastern capital of the Roman Empire. The Romans added to the architectural splendors of the city, building temples, palaces, and theaters, extending aqueducts, and paving main streets with marble.

Antioch was the center of Christendom outside Palestine. The apostles preached there before starting out on their missionary journeys, and in Antioch the term Christian, designating converts of St. Paul, first came into use. In AD 260 Antioch fell to the Persians. Over the next 13 centuries it was conquered by Arabs, Byzantines, Seljuk Turks, Frankish Crusaders, and Egyptians. The devastations of war and persistent earthquakes, including one in 526 that reportedly killed 250,000 people, reduced the once great city to relative unimportance.

Antioch, known as Antakya in modern history, was captured by the Turks in 1516, and it remained a part of the Ottoman Empire until shortly after World War I, when it was conveyed to Syria under a French mandate. The province of Hatay, of which Antakya is the capital, became autonomous in 1938, and the following year it was ceded to Turkey.

Although little of the ancient city remains, portions of the high walls that girded the city and of catacombs and aqueducts still stand. An archaeological museum houses a superbly preserved collection of mosaics dating from the 2d and 3d centuries. Nearby is Saint Peter's Grotto, in which the apostle preached; a church was built in the cave by Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries. Pop. (1990) 124,443.

MUSEUMS AND ANCIENT CITIES

Hatay Archeology Museum (Antakya Mosaic Museum): The museum is the second place in the world with its richness in mosaic collection and in the third place with its richness of coin collection. Various jewelry, statues, tombs and archeological findings belonging to various periods discovered at the excavations executed in Harbiye, Antakya, Aççana, Çevlik and İskenderun are exhibited in the museum.

Harbiye (Daphne): The ancient city is located 7 km away from Antakya city center and is a beautiful promenade place. This ancient city is the famous city of Daphne of the ancient ages. According to the legend, Apollo, son of Zeus and god of light sees a young and beautiful lady named Daphne and falls in love with her. The god wants to speak and tell her his love. But the afraid young Daphne starts to run away from the god. After a short chase, Daphne understands that she could not escape from the god. She prays "O mother earth, cover me, hide me, protect me". Then Daphne was transformed into a tree under the astonished looks of Apollo. After this event the victories of poetry and warfare starts to be awarded by the branch of the Daphne tree. Another rumor is that the waterfalls of Harbiye was formed from the tears of Daphne. The city of Daphne was famous with its waterfalls in Selevkos periods and was a worldwide famous promenade place. There were numerous mansions, temples and entertainment facilities. The arranged Olympic games at the stadium of the city was legendary. However severe earthquakes had destroyed this beautiful ancient city and there have been no visual structures or artworks left.

Harbiye is now a famous and beautiful promenade place located at a plateau and also is an important district with the discovered and uncovered statues and touristic souvenirs. The natural silk clothing produced in the district with workbenches are highly demanded both in the country and abroad.

Tel Aççana: The ancient city is located on the Antakya - Reyhanlı highway. There are two palace ruins from 5th century B.C. 17 different settlement layers were determined. The archeological findings discovered here are exhibited in Hatay Archeology Museum.

Kinet Tumulus: It is at the vicinity of Dörtyol. The excavations are still in progress. At this excavations remnants of various periods were discovered.

Necropolis: Rock and earthen burial grounds were discovered in Kuzuculu and Karakese belonging to the 2nd - 3rd A.D and 4th - 5th centuries A.D , respectively. From the executed excavations, tombs, glass bottles and pots, cooked earthen pots, oil lamps and signets was discovered.

Ceylanlı: This locality was a settlement place in the Byzantine and Gündüzoğu Domain periods and there are ruins scattered in the region. The nearby rocks contain rock tombs with inscriptions on them.

İmma: There was a settlement place in the vicinity of Reyhanlı, on the Antakya - Cilvegözü road which was known as "İmma", place of settlement during ancient times.This location is famous for its promenade areas and tea gardens in the present day.

Tainat: The ruins of a Hittite palace and temple was discovered at the excavations in Tainat. The findings are exhibited in Hatay Archeology Museum.

Çevlik: This ancient city was founded by Seleukos Nikator in 300 B.C. In order to prevent the filling of the inner part by the floods from mountains, a tunnel construction was initiated in the period of Emperor Vespesian but this tunnel was completed only in the period of Titus. The most frequently visited location is the Beşikli Cave in which the rock tombs are present.

Dor Temple: It is possible to spot the ruins of pillars over a dominant hill at the Çevlik locality of Kapısuyu region .

Water Channels: It is still possible to see the ruins of the 10 km long channels and bridges, which was constructed to bring water to Antakya from Harbiye (Daphne) waterfall in the periods of Seleukos and Roman civilizations. The only section that is inside the borders of Antakya is known as Memekli Bridge.