Antakya

This magical city was called Queen of the East by the ancient Romans. We may recognize it even better as ancient Antioch. Founded in 300 BC by Seleucus I, a military general of Alexander the Great, it eventually passed to Roman hands. It became the third largest city of the Roman empire, playing host to trade caravans crossing the Middle East. After the Romans, it passed from the Arab caliphate to the Byzantines to the Seljuk Turks to the crusaders to the Mamluks to the Ottomans to the Syrians before joining Turkey in 1939.

Today, it is one of the most interesting cities in Anatolia due to this rich history. The city is littered with mosques, churches, and temples. An unexpected plus of this religious melting pot is that it has the best local bar scene in Anatolia. The food is some of the best in Turkey and you can see some of the most incredible mosaics from the imperial Roman period. It’s truly a place I could visit again and again.

Stay

Our bed and breakfast was in a historic, traditional Antioch home with ten rooms all giving way onto this lovely central courtyard. We prefer staying in these historic buildings to get a real flavor of the place.

Taste

These lovely anise-flavored cookies were served alongside our coffees.

See

The Hatay Archeological Museum is home to extensive Roman mosaics in shockingly good condition. A short taxi ride from the center, it is not to be missed.

See

Also outside the city center (but still walkable if you like to walk) lies the Church of St. Peter, understood to be the first Christian church. The first converts to Christianity would meet here to pray secretly.

Taste

This dessert, Haytali, is absolutely an experience. Two scoops of homemade ice cream perch on top of a pudding base. And that pink liquid? Rosewater. Find it at Affan Kahvesi, a beautiful, historic cafe in the city.

Don’t miss visiting some of the churches and temples in the city center. The Catholic church, pictured above with a minaret in the background, was delightful to visit with its lovely courtyard and friendly Italian priest. We spent our Saturday night drinking local wine and listening to some live music. Antakya is a true gem in Anatolia and one of my most recommended places to visit if you love excellent food and intertwined religious histories.