Antakya Tour from Istanbul 2 Days 1 Night

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Antakya, the biblical city of Antioch, lies on the banks of Asi River (Orontes) on a fertile plain surrounded by grand mountains. Once the capital of the Seleucid kings, it was renowned for its wealth and luxury. In the 7th century, Antioch was one of five patriarchal centres of the Christian church, the others being Rome, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and İstanbul (Constantinople). In Roman times, the city continued to thrive with commerce and culture. It featured prominently in early Christianity where the name "Christian" was first coined. A cave known today as the Grotto of St. Peter or Church of Saint Peter is believed to be where the Apostle Peter preached when he visited Antioch and is considered to be one of the earliest Christian houses of worship. This grotto-church, located on the Antakya- Reyhanlı road, is as sacred for the Christian world as the cities of Rome or Jerusalem and it is the only structure to have survived from the earliest period of Christianity when the new faith had begun to spread. In 1963, the papacy designated the site as a place of pilgrimage and also recognized it as the world’s first cathedral. Every year on June 29th, a special service is conducted at the Church of St. Peter that is attended by Christians and clergymen from all over the world. Besides this early church, Antakya is also home to a Catholic Church and a Greek Orthodox Church as well as a Museum of Archaeology (also known as the Mosaic Museum), which has the second richest collection of ancient mosaics in the world. Also to be found in Antakya are a number of historically important examples of architecture from the Ottoman Period, such as the Mosque of Habib-ün Neccar. The ancient Vespasianus Titus Tunnel of Antakya The Vespasianus Titus Tunnel is a 2,000-year-old engineering marvel – a massive tunnel dug through a mountain that was built to divert the floodwaters threatening the harbour near the ancient city of Seleucia Pieria in what is now Turkey. According to UNESCO, it is one of the most magnificent remains of the Roman period because of its size, well-preserved authenticity, and architectural and engineering features. The Titus Tunnel was neither built, nor completed by Emperor Titus. The construction of this tunnel, began during the reign of Vespasianus, the father of Titus, during the second half of the 1 st century A.D. Although work continued during the reign of Titus (79-81 A.D.), it was only completed during the reign of Antoninus Pius in the 2 nd century A.D. These dates are known due to several rock-carved inscriptions found in the tunnel. At the first tunnel section, the names Vespasianus and Titus can be found. This inscription reads ‘Divus Vespasianus et Divus Titus F.C.’ (‘Divine Vespasianus and Divine Titus caused it to be made’). Thus, it may be possible that the tunnel was jointly built by the two emperors. Another inscription in the downstream channel bears the name Antoninus Pius, indicating that construction was completed during the reign of this emperor.