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The holy city of Antioch

Driving into Antakya, Turkey with my friends Jason and Rodney, I saw more Arabic and Middle East influences than any where else in Turkey.  The signs of Humusci’s (Hommus Makers) are scattered throughout the city.  Kunefe, a traditional Arab dessert, was found everywhere, and was some of the best in Turkey according to Rodney who “lived on it” in Iraq. With only about 30 miles between Antakya and the Syrian border, the city is Turkish but with a Middle Eastern flair.

Kunefe is made of thin streams of flour and butter mixed with cheese. Think, sweet shredded wheat.

The history of Antakya goes back for thousands of years.  In Christianity, it’s known as Antioch, the city where St. Peter supposedly opened the first church. It is known that Antioch was a place where both St. Peter and St. Paul preached, and where the “Christian” label originated.

“And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch,” from Acts 11:26.

St. Peter's Church in Antakya, the altar and statue were added later by the Crusaders.

The Church is little more than a cave.  However, an elegant doorway was installed by the Crusaders who ruled Antioch in the 10th century, along with an altar.  An opening to spring water can be found on one end that is rumored to have healing properties, and an escape tunnel that was used to go through the mountain into Syria also remains.

Now, Antakya is nearly all Muslim just like the rest of Turkey.  However, there are three churches (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant) and a synagogue in use in Antakya.  The buildings are located in the city center amidst the other prominent mosques in the city.  According to my Lonely Planet, the city caters to about 1,200 Christians.

We were all surprised to see the Churches in such prime location with bold signs pointing out their locations.  Three large signs with bold letters reading, “CATHOLIC CHURCH,” helped us find our way to one.  In a country where security cameras, steel shutters, and high fences protect most churches in the modern and Western cities of Istanbul and Izmir, it was interesting to see these locations appear to get along better with the city.

What was particularly surprising was where this was happening.  This was Turkey’s “wild southeast.”  In the 1990s, much of the southeast was off-limits to tourists because of Kurdish separatist violence there. The region is still seen as dangerous, and sometimes backward, by some on Turkey’s western shores.

On arrival in Antakya, it was interesting to see that the diversity hasn’t erupted in the hostility that has been an issue in other parts of Turkey.  In fact, everyone seemed to use the tourism to their advantage.

(For all the photos from Antioch and the rest of my trip southeast, check out the photo gallery.)