ISKENDERUN , TURKEY

After rounding Karatas Burnu(point) and crossing Iskenderun Korfezi(gulf), we come to Iskenderun, the terminus for the Iraqi oil pipeline and main port for the southern province of Antayka(Antioch). This region was given to Syria after WW I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and is still indicated as part of Syria on Syrian maps, but was taken by Turkey in 1939.

Iskenderun, founded by Alexander the Great as Alexandretta, is an authentic, working Turkish City that tourism has not yet reached. Visit the local shops and restaurants where the people are very friendly and welcoming.

There will be a tour to the city of Antakya (Hatay) (Antioch), which was the main city of the Roman province of Syria in 64 BC and home to half a million people. Antioch is referred to several times in the New Testament, as the first Christian community was established here by St. Paul, and the use of the word ‘Christian’ originated from here (Acts, chapter 11, verse 26). The archaeological - Mosaic museum of Antioch is a must see. The Church of St. Peter, a natural cave sanctuary, was used in 47 AD so the worshippers could clandestinely listen to the apostles St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Barnabus.

Antioch, founded by Seleucus, an officer under Alexander the Great, in 301 BC, was seized by the Romans in 81 BC, the Arabs in 638 AD, the Byzantines in 969 AD, and the Crusaders in 1096 for a base to go on to Jerusalem. In 1268 the Mamelukes of Egypt took control, but left it in ashes. When the Ottomans conquered the area in 1560, it was a ruin ignored by them. Antioch owes its renaissance to Atatürk and the agricultural development in the region. Violent earthquakes over the centuries have shattered the town

A labyrinth of busy narrow alleys shaded by stately Ottoman or Syrian houses, old Antioch, on the eastern bank of the ancient Orontes River, overflows with Oriental charm. The Archaeological Museum features one of the best collections of mosaics in the Levant, as well as exquisite Roman statuary from the 2nd to 4th century AD. The Antioch Fortress, from the Byzantine period perched atop a tall rocky peak, provides a stunning panorama of the area. We will see the church of St. Peter mentioned above.

A visit to Seleucia Pieria on the coast will take us to a 250 meter long tunnel (Titus Tunnel) conceived by Vespasian in 79 AD to supply the city with water and to serve as a diversionary channel for the river when in flood. The dimensions of this structure are breathtaking. Beyond them lies the necropolis with rock tombs and a church. A bit of a hike (wear sturdy shoes today) will take you around rocks, grass, and wild goats, up the mountain to the remains of the ancient water source and flood control dam. Seleucia was a very important city for trading, and although the river is now silted in, it provided the port for Antioch in ancient times.

Since this area is not popular for tourism, we will probably not have guides on the buses. Consult your tour books.