A city of southern Turkey on the Orontes River near the Mediterranean Sea. Founded c. 300 B.C. by Seleucus I, it was an important military and commercial center in the Roman era and an early center of Christianity. Population: 144,000.
Antakya
Dictionary:
An·ta·kya (än-täk'yä)  also An·ti·och
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A city of southern Turkey on the Orontes River near the Mediterranean Sea. Founded c. 300 B.C. by Seleucus I, it was an important military and commercial center in the Roman era and an early center of Christianity. Population: 144,000.
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Antioch |
For more information on Antioch, visit Britannica.com.
| Bible Guide: Antioch |
1. Antioch of Pisidia (sometimes referred to as Pisidian Antioch) in southwest Asia in the border zone between Pisidia and Phrygia. The ruins of ancient Antioch are located near Yalvac in modern Turkey. The city was founded by Seleucus I c. 301 B.C. Under Roman rule it became a free city (188 B.C.), and was later incorporated into the Roman province of Galatia (c. 25 B.C.). It was on the trade route between Ephesus and Cilicia. Apart from the Greek-speaking inhabitants and Roman colonists, Antioch contained a large Jewish community.
Paul and Barnabas visited the city twice on their missionary journeys and Paul preached in the synagogue (Acts 13:14-44). The interest aroused angered the Jewish leaders who had them expelled from the city (Acts 13:45-52). In his Second Epistle to Timothy, Paul recalls his persecution at Antioch (II Tim 3:11).
2. Antioch on the Orontes in Syria, modern Antakya (Hatay). The city was founded by Seleucus I in 300 B.C. and like Antioch of Pisidia, he named it after his father, Antiochus. It became the capital of the Seleucids who developed it lavishly. The city was about 16 miles (26 km) from the sea. Seleucia, at the mouth of the Orontes River, founded at the same time, was its port. The original population consisted of Macedonian and Athenian settlers. Josephus writes that the Seleucids encouraged Jews to settle in Antioch and gave them full citizen rights, thus establishing a sizeable Jewish population. Antioch's economy was based on its fertile hinterland and on commerce. It rose to be the third great city of the Roman empire after Rome and Alexandria. Pompey made it the capital of the new province of Syria in 64 B.C.
The first mention of Antioch in the Bible is in connection with a certain Nicolas of Antioch, a proselyte, who became a Christian and was at Jerusalem at the time of Stephen's martyrdom (Acts 6:5). Following Stephen's death and the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem, some of the disciples were scattered as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, preaching to Jews (Acts 11:19). In Antioch, they also began preaching to "Hellenists" ("Greeks", i.e., most likely Gentiles interested in Judaism). When the Christian congregation in Jerusalem heard that many people were becoming believers of Christ in Antioch, they dispatched Barnabas, who seeing the great interest shown there, brought Paul from Tarsus to help. Paul and Barnabas stayed there a whole year, making many converts. The disciples were first called "Christians" in Antioch (Acts 11:21-26). When the congregation heard of the famine which occurred at the time of the emperor Claudius c. A.D. 46, as predicted by Agabus, they generously sent financial aid to their brethren in Jerusalem through paul and Barnabas (Acts 11:27-30).
Paul's second missionary journey began from Antioch and ended there (Acts 18:22). Christianity made great progress in Antioch and the city rivaled Jerusalem as its center. Its great importance to Christianity comes from the fact that here the first Gentile church was founded.
Concordance
ANTIOCH 1:
Acts 13:14; 14:19, 21, 26. II Tim 3:11
ANTIOCH 2:
Acts 6:5; 11:19-20, 22,26-27; 13:1; 15:22-23, 30,35; 18:22. Gal 2:11
| Geography: An·ti·och |
[ʹæntē͵äk]
City in S Turkey, near the Syrian border. Population: 123,871. Antioch was the ancient capital of Syria under the Seleucid kings, who founded it. Turkish name Antakya.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Antioch |
Antioch (ăn'tēŏk') or Antakya (äntäk'yä), city (1990 pop. 124,443), capital of Hatay prov., S Turkey, on the Orontes (Asi) River, near the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of Mt. Silpius. Antioch is the trade center for a region where grains, cotton, grapes, olives, and vegetables are grown. The city's manufactures include processed foods, textiles, and leather goods. There is an archaeological museum.
Modern Antioch occupies only a fraction of the area of the ancient city, most of which is buried under alluvial deposits. Important archaeological finds in the area include the Great Chalice of Antioch (see chalice), said by some to be the Holy Grail, and, at Daphne, an ancient suburban resort, splendid Roman mosaics (1st-6th cent. A.D.), mostly copies of lost paintings and held to represent the height of mosaic art.
History
The city was founded c.300 B.C. by Seleucus I, king of Syria, and named for his father Antiochus, a Macedonian general. Situated at the crossing of north-south and east-west trade routes, the city soon became a rich commercial center. Antioch was occupied by Pompey in 64 B.C. and quickly became an important Roman military, commercial, and cultural center. The Romans built great temples, a forum, a theater, baths, aqueducts, and other public buildings. The two main streets, at right angles to each other, were lined with marble colonnades and adorned with temples, palaces, and statues.
Antioch was an early center of Christianity; Peter and Paul preached there. It was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians after they severed themselves from the synagogue about 20 years after Jesus' death. Antioch is one of the three original patriarchates (see patriarch). Aurelian, who recovered the city from Shapur I of Persia, erected (3d cent.) more magnificent buildings and churches. The city played a significant role in the theological controversies of the early Christian church (see Christianity). St. John Chrysostom estimated its population (4th cent.) at 200,000, excluding children and slaves.
In 526 the city suffered a severe earthquake. It was again captured by Persia in 540 and taken by the Arabs in 637. Nicephorus II reconquered it (969) for the Byzantine Empire, but in 1085 it fell, through treason, to the Seljuk Turks. The army of the First Crusade (see Crusades) captured Antioch in 1098 after a half-year siege. Bohemond I was made prince of Antioch. His principality, which extended from Iskenderun (Alexandretta) southward beyond Latakia, was one of the most powerful of the Crusaders' states. In 1268 the Mamluks captured and sacked the city; it was further damaged by Timur in 1401.
In 1516 Antioch, by then much reduced in importance, was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. The city was held (1832-40) by Muhammad Ali of Egypt, and in 1872 it was badly damaged by an earthquake. After World War I, Antioch was held as part of French Syria under a League of Nations mandate. In 1939 it was restored to Turkey.
| Mideast & N. Africa Encyclopedia: Antakya |
Ancient Antioch and capital of Hatay province, Turkey.
Antakya (Antioch in English) was the capital of Hellenistic and Roman Syria and remained an important commercial, cultural, manufacturing, political, and religious center for more than a thousand years, until it was looted and destroyed by Mamluk armies in 1268. The city never recovered from this devastation, although after it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1517 it reemerged as an important regional trade center. French forces occupied Antakya in 1918 and subsequently incorporated it as part of the French mandate of Syria on the grounds that its population was largely Arab Christian and Armenian rather than Turkish. The Republic of Turkey contested this action, and for several years the status of Antakya and nearby Alexandretta was a source of tension in Franco-Turkish relations. In 1939, France, against the wishes of Syrian nationalist politicians in Damascus, ceded Antakya back to Turkey, a move that prompted most of the city's Armenian population to depart.
Antakya has grown rapidly since 1950 and is a prosperous commercial center for Turkey's southernmost province of Hatay. It has a well-known archaeological museum and the extensive ruins of its ancient walls, as well as its old churches, are important tourist attractions. In 2000, the city's population of approximately 175,000 was diverse, both ethnically (Arabs, Kurds, and Turks) and religiously (Alevis, Christians, and Sunni Muslims).
Bibliography
Sansal, Burak. "Hatay (Antioch)." Available from http://www.allaboutturkey.com/hatay.htm.
— ERIC HOOGLUND
| Wikipedia: Antakya |
For the ancient city, see Antioch.
| Antakya | |
|---|---|
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  Antakya
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| Coordinates: 36°12′N 36°09′E / 36.2°N 36.15°E | |
| Country |  Turkey |
| Region | Mediterranean |
| Province | Hatay |
| Elevation | 67 m (220 ft) |
| Population 2008 | |
| - Total | 188.310 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 31 |
| Area code(s) | (0)326 |
| Licence plate | 31 |
Antakya (Arabic: انطاكية, Anṭākyä; Greek: Ἀντιόχεια, Antiókheia or Antiócheia) is the seat of the Hatay Province in southern Turkey, near the border with Syria. In ancient times the city was known as Antioch and has historical significance for Christianity, being the place where the followers of Jesus Christ were called Christians for the very first time. The city and its massive walls also played an important role during the Crusades.
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Geography
Antakya is located on the banks of the Orontes River (Turkish: Asi Nehri), approximately 22 km (14 mi) inland from the Mediterranean coast. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers, and mild and wet winters; however due to its higher altitude, Antakya has slightly cooler temperatures than the coast. The city is in a valley surrounded by mountains, the Nur Mountains (ancient Amanos) to the north and Mount Keldağ (Jebel Akra to the south, with the 440 m high Mount Habib Neccar (ancient Silpius) forming its eastern limits. The mountains are a source of a green marble. Antakya is at the northern edge of the Dead Sea Rift and vulnerable to earthquakes.
The plain of Amik to the north-east of the city is fertile soil watered by the Orontes, the Karasu River and the Afrin River, the lake in the plain was drained in 1980 by a French company. At the same time channels were built to widen the Orontes River and let it pass neatly through the city centre. The Orontes is joined in Antakya by the Hacı Kürüş stream to the north-east of the city near the church of St Peter, and the Hamşen which runs down from Habib-i Neccar to the south-west, under Memekli Bridge near the army barracks. Flora includes the bay trees and myrtle.
The city of Antakya today
Mount Habib Neccar and the city walls which climb the hillsides symbolise Antakya, making the city a formidable fortress built on a series of hills running north-east to south-west. Antakya was originally centred on the eastern bank of the river but since the 19th century the city has expanded with new neighbourhoods built on the plains across the river to the south-west, and there are four bridges across the river linking the old and new cities. However, as in so much of Turkey, the buildings of the last two decades are all concrete blocks, and Antakya has lost much of its classic beauty. The narrow streets of the old city can be clogged with traffic.
Although the port of Iskenderun has become the largest city in Hatay, Antakya is a provincial capital still of considerable importance as the centre of a large district, growing in wealth and productiveness with the draining of Lake Amik. The town is a lively shopping and business centre with many restaurants, cinemas and other amenities, centred on a large park opposite the governor's building and the central avenue Kurtuluş Caddesı. The tea gardens, cafes and restaurants in the neighbourhood of Harbiye are one of the city's most popular spots, particularly for the variety of meze in the restaurants. The Orontes River is rather smelly when water is low in summer. Although the people are generally modern in outlook, there is little in the way of wild night life. In the summer heat people will stay outside until late in the night walking with their families and friends and munching on snacks.
Being so near the Syrian border Antakya is a cosmopolitan city unlike most of the cities in Turkey today, and it has not experienced the 1980s and 1990s mass immigration of people from eastern Anatolia that has radically swelled the populations of other Mediterranean cities such as Adana and Mersin. As a result both Turkish and Arabic are still widely spoken in Antakya although written Arabic is rarely used. A mixed community of faiths and demoninations co-exist peacefully here; although almost all the inhabitants are Muslim a substantial proportion adhere to the Alevi and the Arab Nusayri traditions, in 'Harbiye' there is a place to honour the Nusayri saint Hızır. There are a number of tombs of Muslim saints, both Sunni and Alevi, throughout the city. There are also still small active Christian communities in the city, the largest church being St Peter and St Paul on Hurriyet Caddesi. With its long history of spiritual and religious movements Antakya is still a place of pilgrimage for Christians and Muslims and furthermore still carries a reputation in Turkey as a centre of spells, fortune telling, miracles and spirits.
Local crafts include a soap scented with oil of bay tree.
| Weather data for Antakya | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 51 (11) |
57 (14) |
64 (18) |
71 (22) |
78 (26) |
82 (28) |
86 (30) |
87 (31) |
86 (30) |
80 (27) |
68 (20) |
55 (13) |
71 (22) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 39 (4) |
41 (5) |
46 (8) |
51 (11) |
59 (15) |
68 (20) |
73 (23) |
75 (24) |
68 (20) |
57 (14) |
46 (8) |
41 (5) |
55 (13) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 7.5 (190.5) |
6.5 (165.1) |
5.6 (142.2) |
4.2 (106.7) |
3.2 (81.3) |
1.3 (33) |
0.3 (7.6) |
0.2 (5.1) |
1.1 (27.9) |
3.5 (88.9) |
4.3 (109.2) |
7.5 (190.5) |
45.1 (1,145.5) |
| Source: [1] {{{accessdate}}} | |||||||||||||
Cuisine
The cuisine of Antakya is renowned. Popular dishes include the typical Turkish kebab, served in Antakya with spices and onions in flat unleavened bread, or with yoghurt as ali nazik kebab. Hot spicy food is a feature of this part of Turkey, along with Turkish coffee and local specialities including:
Sweets
- Künefe - a hot cheese-kadaif based sweet. Antakya is Turkey's künefe capital, with the pastry shops in the centre all proclaiming themselves king Turkish: kral. The secret is in the light yellow cheese that they use.
- Müşebbek - rings of deep fried pastry.
Savories
- Pomegranate syrup, used as a salad dressing, called debes ramman, a traditional Levantine Arabic dressing.
- Semirsek a thin bread with hot pepper, minced meat or spinach filling
- Içli köfte and other oruk varieties - varieties of the Arabic kibbeh, deep-fried balls of bulgur stuffed with minced meat.
- Spicy chicken, a speciality of Harbiye
- Za'atar (Zahter) a traditional Levantine Arabic spiced thyme, oregano, and sesame seeds, mixed with olive oil, spread on flat (called pide or in English Pita)bread.
- fresh chick peas, munched as a snack.
- Hirise, ethnic bolied and pounded wheat eat.
- Aşur, meat mixed with crushed wheat, chickpea, cumin, onion, pepper and walnut
- Hummus - the chick-pea dip
- pureed fava beans
- Surke - the spicy sun-dried cheese
- Çökelek - dried curds served in spicy olive oil
- Eels from the Orontes, spiced and fried in olive oil.
History
Antiquity
Main article: Antioch
Antioch history dates back to the Calcolithic era (6th millennium BC), as revealed by excavations of the mound of Tell-Açana among others.
Subsequent rulers of the area include Alexander the Great, who after defeating the Persians in 333 BC followed the Orontes south into Syria. The city of Antioch was founded in 300 BC, after the death of Alexander, by the Seleucid King Seleucus I Nicator, and went on to play an important part in the history as one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and Byzantium, a key location of the early years of Christianity, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, the rise of Islam and The Crusades.
Ottoman city
In 1822 (and again in 1872), Antakya was hit by an earthquake; when Ottoman general Ibrahim Pasha established his headquarters in the city in 1835, it had only some 5,000 inhabitants. It was hoped that the city might develop thanks to the Euphrates valley railway, which was supposed to link it to the port of Suedia (now Samandağı). But such plans were doomed to come to naught. Instead, the city was struck by repeated outbreaks of cholera.
Later the city did nevertheless develop and rapidly resumed much of its old importance when a railway was built along the lower Orontes valley.
The Republic of Hatay and modern Turkey
See Hatay Province for the history of the region during the demise of the Ottoman Empire, the short-lived Republic of Hatay (in 1938), and the areas incorporation into the Republic of Turkey in 1939.
Main sights
With its remarkable history there is much for visitors to see in Antakya, although much has doubtless been lost in the rapid growth of the city in recent decades.
- Antakya Archaeological Museum has the second largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world (Entrance fee: 8 Turkish Lira).
- The rock-carved Church of St Peter, with its network of refuges and tunnels carved out of the rock, a site of Christian pilgrimage. There are also tombs cut into the rock face at various places along the Orontes valley.
- The seedy Gündüz cinema in the city centre was once used as parliament building of the Republic of Hatay.
- The waterfalls at Harbiye/Daphne promenade.
- The Ottoman Habib-i Neccar Camii, the oldest mosque in Antakya, one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia.
- The labyrinth of narrow streets and old Antakya houses in the old market area
- Titus/Vespasianus Tunnel
- Beşikli Cave and Graves (the antique city of Seleukeia Pierria)
- St. Simon Monastery
- Bakras Castle
- The panoramic view of the city from the heights of the Habib-i Neccar Mountain
With its rich architectural heritage, Antakya is a member of the Norwich-based European Association of Historic Towns and Regions [1]. Sadly the Roman bridge (thought to date from the era of Diocletian) was destroyed in 1972 during the widening and channelling of the Orontes.[citation needed]
International relations
Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Turkey
Twin towns — Sister cities
Antakya is twinned with: 
Aalen, Germany (since 1995).
Notable people
- Alexandros (1st century BC) Greek sculptor
- Saint Luke, First century A.D., Christian evangelist and author of the Gospel of St. Luke and Acts of the Apostles
- Selâhattin Ülkümen - Righteous among the nations
References
- ^ weatherbase.com
- Glanville Downey (1963). Ancient Antioch. Princeton University Press.
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This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
Coordinates: 36°12′09.6″N 36°09′37.4″E / 36.202667°N 36.160389°E
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Bible Guide. Illustrated Dictionary & Concordance of the Bible. Copyright © 1986 by G.G. The Jerusalem Publishing House, Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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