-
This city in the very south of [wiki=221cdfb73049678e244380b45872cbb2]Turkey[/wiki] was an important centre of early Christianity, with some of the first non-hidden churches. Today it’s a truly multicultural place, where you can hear prayers in many different tongues. Many denominations of Christianity (Greek Orthodoxy, Syriac Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism to name a few) and Islam (Sunni and Alawi), as well as Judaism, are all represented with their dedicated temples in Antakya.
Ethnically, Arabs constitute almost half of the population whereas the other half is constituted by Turks. Arabs in the city speak Levantine (Shami) dialect of Arabic, which is also prevalent in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
The city is not located on the sea-shore, but the Asi River (formerly known as the Orontes River) flows through the city center.
-
-
By air
Domestic flights are available to Hatay Airport, 25 km from the city center. However, the nearest international airport is located in [wiki=5520d9658f058d9f3ebbc9671bb09ae9]Adana[/wiki], a couple of hundred kilometres to the north. The 'Havas' bus runs from the airport hourly to the city centre for 9 lira, and takes around 20-30 minutes. If you need to get back to the airport, the Havas leaves from the front of the 'Buyuk Antakya Hotel' (on the river, close to the Mosaic Museum; it' a huge resort style hotel, you can't miss it) every half hour most days, but check the Havas website for specific departure times. This is a lot cheaper than a taxi! Please note that you will have to flag the Havas bus down from the front of the hotel, as not many people utilise this service, so make your presence known as it drives past.
You can also use Dolmuş Taxis in order to get to the city center. Many dolmuş taxis wait just in front of the airport and as soon as any four customers are gathered, the taxi heads towards the city. The taxis charge approximately 10 lira per person. All in all, if you accept to share the taxi with other passengers, taking a cab is preferable to Havaş as the taxi drops you off in whichever part of the city you want to get out while Havaş only stops at specific points.
-
By train
The nearest station is in [wiki=322b48df2f66d47f15b124d7836e14cf]Iskenderun[/wiki], which has several daily train connections with [wiki=5520d9658f058d9f3ebbc9671bb09ae9]Adana[/wiki] and [wiki=3b7cdae6340e5a3b84394dc441df2e13]Mersin[/wiki].
-
By bus
Has Turizm [url=http://www.hasturizm.com.tr/h_english/index.asp]]operates comfortable buses from all major cities in Turkey. There are also bus connections with [[Aleppo[/url]], [wiki=465718d0a1bc8363ad01390923fad5d1]Syria[/wiki].
The otogar is located about 7 kilometers from the city center. Once you arrive look for minibuses to take you within walking distance of the center. Many of the hotels are located on Istiklal street.
To get from Antakya to [wiki=369bf138cb342144445fe7ef6fde23a8]Aleppo[/wiki] in [wiki=465718d0a1bc8363ad01390923fad5d1]Syria[/wiki], the best option is to catch a bus from the central bus station (otogar) outside of town. It's too far to walk there, but there are bus connections from the town centre. The journey to Aleppo should cost you 10 Turkish Lira (2009). Keep in mind that the last bus (during Ramadan) leaves at 11AM! This might be different outside of Ramadan, though. You can also try to catch a taxi from the town centre, which can be fairly difficult, as you normally have to wait until there are enough people sharing the taxi. The journey should cost you around 25 Turkish Lira each if the taxi gets full. If you don't want to wait, you can pay for the whole taxi and depart immediately, which is going to be about 100-120 Turkish Lira.
Don't try to cross the border step by step! The Lonely Planet mentions this option, which means you catch a bus to the Turkish border control, hitchhike to the Syrian border (which is about 5 km away, and you are not allowed to walk) and then take a taxi from there to Aleppo. You should be prepared for an extremely time-consuming trip. There's no other possibility to get from the Turkish border control to the Syrian one than waiting for a car to [wiki=c8685dc2274b3bae344a739d13f00ac9]hitchhike[/wiki]. This can take some hours. At the Syrian border neither buses nor taxis are to be found, so you will have to hitchhike again. Most people will charge you for hitchhiking, and normally they will try to rip you off. Speaking Turkish and/or Arabic will certainly help, but if you don't, this trip is going to be really difficult. Apart from that it's more expensive than the direct bus.
-
-
Mosaic Museum (Mozaik Müzesi) or the Antakya Archeological Museum in the city has the second largest collection of classical/Roman mosaics in the world. The museum also features a good coin collection, artifacts from the Iron and Bronze ages found in sites nearby and a very impressive sarcophagus with great reliefs. You can check many items from the collection through the official website of the museum: [http://www.hatayarkeolojimuzesi.gov.tr/HatayMuzeWeb/faces/jsp/layouts/intro.jsp]
* One of the oldest churches of Christianity, Church of St. Peter, is a must see in Antakya. Entrance to the church is 8 lira (as of Nov 2010). The church is about a 30 minute walk from the museum. To reach the church you need to go across from the museum, through the bazaar and at the end (when you exit the bazaar) make a left and go on for about over a kilometer - the church will be visible up on the hillside.
* Büyük Antakya Parkı is the park that is located just in the midst of the city, by the River Asi and behind the famous mosaic museum of the city. Many locals visit the park during the day, and especially early in the morning to do sports. Note that there are many open air tea houses within the park, hence it's the address to go for a tea or coffee or hookah when the weather is nice.
*The Titus Tunnel (Titüs Tüneli) is a Roman engineering marvel.
During the reign of Emperor Vespasian (69-79 AD), the Roman governors of Seleucia Pieria (Samandag), the port city for Antioch ad Orontes (Antakya), decided to divert a river.
They put Roman legionnaires, sailors and prisoners to work cutting a channel along and through the rock for about 1.4 km (nearly a mile).
Continued under Emperor Titus (79-81), inscriptions tell us it was completed during the reigns of the Antonine emperors decades later.
Today the channel is dry, but still worth a visit. A small parking area and entrance is just inland from the beach at Samandag. A path ascends along the channel, open to the sky, up and down steps and rocks, to where an arched limestone footbridge crosses.
Above the footbridge, the channel continues into the solid rock. You'll need a powerful flashlight/torch to continue.
-
-
Thanks to the large laurel (Laurus nobilis) groves on the mountains surrounding the city, laurel soaps (defne sabunu, also known as garlı sabun locally), which are said to have some benefits on the skin and hair, are unique to this city and are made of local olive oil with some laurel extract stirred in.
City is also famous for silk production which is woven in the traditional way.
In the ancient bazaar area you can find the regional spices, leather shoes and hand-made wooden objects.
-
The city is known for its tasty cuisine (one of the most delicious in Turkey), which has many [wiki=158b06e50632e27d494593ba389ef918]Middle East[/wiki]ern influences. One of the must eats in Antakya is a dessert called Künefe, which is a shredded pastry with cheese. There are many Künefe houses scattered in the city, but they are especially concentrated in the main square of the city, Köprübaşı. Hatay Künefe and Kral Künefe, both located in Köprübaşı, are among the most famous Künefe houses in the city.
There are many restaurants in the city center, but most of them serve döner and other fast food. In order to try local cuisine, try Anadolu Restaurant (in Saray Caddesi), Sultan Sofrası Restaurant (in Köprübaşı) or Sveyka Restaurant (in Kurtuluş Caddesi). As for döner restaurants, Restaurant Nuri and Restaurant Abdo (both in Saray Caddesi) are the most famous ones for Et Döner (beef döner) whereas Kebo, a tiny place located in Atatürk Caddesi, is the most famous place for Tavuk Döner (chicken döner).
Note that Harbiye, a touristic municipality which is 10 km away from Antakya, has many restaurants as well and people frequently go from Antakya to Harbiye for long dinners.
*To eat like the locals, go to the Fish Market and buy a couple of fresh ones from the iced bins, then take them to the nearby cafe Ornikos where for a small fee you can have your fish cooked and served up with house salad and a beer.
-
An upstairs bar which opens out on the first floor of the building, with a balcony, and front windows overlooking the pedestrianised street below. As of June 2011, there was a live band playing Turkish covers, and it looks like live music is a regular feature. Beers are inexpensive and the waitress service good. Located in Saray Caddesi.
*An old Antakya-style house, restored and transformed into a cosy café. It's not mostly famous for its food, but rather for its ambiance. Serves a variety of food and drinks, including beer. It's one of the places where you can try one of the local desserts, "haytalı". The name of the café means "the Hidden House". It's located near the end of Saray Caddesi where it meets with Kurtuluş Caddesi.
-
[url=http://www.antakyaottomanpalace.com]Ottoman Palace[/url] a five-star thermal resort and spa convention center.
* [url=http://www.buyukantakyaoteli.com]Büyük Antakya Oteli[/url] a four-star hotel in the city.
*Located in the city center, the hotel rooms are very clean. Quoted 75 lira with breakfast for a single room, 100TL for a double (Nov 2010 prices)
*A 3 star hotel, clean rooms and bathroom, Quoted 60TL for a single (Nov 2010 prices), staff speaks English
*First and only boutique hotel in Antakya. The building was used as presidential residence of the former Syrian president. Central location with walking distance to historical places.
*Former soap factory converted to a hotel in 2001, located in the old city area of Antakya, between the Mosaic Museum and the Church of St. Peter.
*Cheap and cheerful, popular with down-on-their-luck freelance journalists. Hot water, wi-fi, simple breakfast served from 7-10 a.m. Rooms are clean and relatively quiet
*Antik Grand Hotel is situated in the city centre of Antakya, offering peace with its comfortable accommodation and riverside location. Elegantly decorated, the luxurious rooms of the hotel feature air conditioning, cable TV and free Wi-Fi.
All rooms of Antik Grand have floor-to-ceiling windows and classical curtains. Telephone, minibar and a private bathroom are also included. Some rooms offer a seating area and a hot tub.
Archeologie Museum is just a 5-minute walk from Antik Grand. Many historical buildings and mosques are in walking distance. Saint Pierre Church is 2.5 km and Antakya Castle is 3 km away.
-
Telephone code of Antakya is 326.
-
With extensive transportation links to [wiki=465718d0a1bc8363ad01390923fad5d1]Syria[/wiki]n city of [wiki=369bf138cb342144445fe7ef6fde23a8]Aleppo[/wiki], Antakya is the jumping off point of most overland travellers into the [wiki=158b06e50632e27d494593ba389ef918]Middle East[/wiki].
[wiki=c3761129a54defb0e45a503eaaa185ea]de:Antakya[/wiki]
[[Wikipedia:Antakya]]
Seleccionar Destino
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic (ex. Zaire)
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
France, Metropolitan
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard and Mc Donald Islands
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle Of Man
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey Island
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Other Countries
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City State (Holy See)
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands, British
Virgin Islands, U.S.
Wallis and Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Spanish