Antioch

Künefe dessert served from a copper tray in Antakya

Künefe, straight from the copper tray. Antakya's answer to every question.

Where the first Christians were named

Antakya, ancient Antioch, is where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. The Church of St Peter, cut into the slopes of Mount Starius, is held by tradition to be among the oldest gathering places of the faith, and the city's Roman mosaics fill the halls of the Hatay Archaeology Museum.

Antioch has always been a border city, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader and Ottoman in turn, and its table shows it. Its food culture is counted among Türkiye's richest, from künefe to a meze tradition shared by communities that have worshipped side by side for centuries.

The 2023 earthquakes wounded the city deeply. Recovery is ongoing, and thoughtful travel is part of it. For faith routes, Antioch remains the head of the St Paul story: the church that sent him out.

Marveltour on the ground

How we operate it

We operate Antakya through the long-standing local relationships the region requires: guides from the city itself, current knowledge of what is open and what is still being rebuilt, and honesty with organisers about both.

The visit centres on the Church of St Peter and the museum's mosaics, with the city's table built into the day. Here, more than anywhere, lunch is heritage.

Antioch works best at the beginning or end of a faith route, as the commissioning point of Paul's journeys. Direct flights from Istanbul to Hatay make the connection practical.

For cultural programmes, it pairs with Gaziantep and the east: two of Türkiye's great food cities and the Mesopotamian sites in one southern arc.

Marvelous Touch to Antioch

A city with this many layers needs people who live in it.

Antakya-born guides

Up-to-date, honest word on what is open and what is still being rebuilt.

The Church of St Peter, in context

The story of the first Christians, told on the slope where they gathered.

A city told in tiny stones

Seen slowly, with a specialist, not on the way to the exit.

Heritage, served

Künefe where it's made best, and a meze table every community calls its own.

Onward routing

Start where Paul was sent out, and follow him west.

No surprises on arrival

A plain account of the city's recovery, given before any commitment.

Planning Antioch

Best time

March–June and October–December

Typical stay

1–2 nights, often opening or closing a faith route

Combines with

The St. Paul route · Gaziantep · Eastern Anatolia & Mesopotamia

Access & Timing

Direct flights to Hatay; the cave church sits at the city's edge, minutes from the centre

Keep Exploring

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