Why Hatay?

HATAY – The History of Antakya (The Center of Everything)

Antakya, which has a history of approximately 2,300 years, traces its earliest settlements back to around 8000 BC.

The city was founded by Seleucus, one of Alexander the Great’s generals who shared his empire after Alexander’s death.

Throughout history, it came under the rule of the Parthians, the Sassanids, Byzantines, Abbasids, the Tulunids, Ikhshidids, Hamdanids, Seljuks, Crusaders, and the Mamluks.

The city became part of the Ottoman Empire during Sultan Selim I’s Egyptian Campaign. In 1937, the independent Hatay State was established, and in 1939 Hatay was incorporated into the Republic of Turkey.

Hatay is one of Türkiye’s oldest settlement centers.

Findings from archaeological research conducted in Antakya, Altınözü, Şenköy, and Çevlik demonstrate that this region was an active settlement during the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Bronze Ages—between roughly 11,000 and 4,000 years ago.

Remnants of palace architecture indicate that these settlements were organized as principalities.

From the Early Bronze Age onwards, these principalities in the Amik Plain came under the rule of the Akkadians, the Kingdom of Yamhad, the Hittites, and the Egyptians.

Around 1200 BC, the Kingdom of Hattena was established. After periods under Assyrian and Urartian rule, it disappeared.

In the mid-7th century BC, Oghuz Khan—the legendary Turkish epic hero—captured Antakya, known among the Turks as the “Swamp City,” and stayed there for 18 years before departing.

By the 6th century BC, Antakya and its surroundings became part of the Persian Empire under the administration of the Cilicia satrapy and paid taxes to Persia. After 333 BC, the region was conquered by Alexander the Great.

Seleucus I Nicator founded the cities of Seleucia (Çevlik) and later Antioch (Antakya) around 300 BC.

Antakya quickly flourished into a major center of trade and industry.

Aqueducts were constructed to bring water from the waterfalls of Daphne (Harbiye) into the city.

Beginning in 195 BC, the Olympic Games held in the city earned Antakya the title “City of the Olympics,” with activities continuing until the 6th century AD.

In 64 BC, Antakya was incorporated into the Roman Empire and became the capital of the province of Syria.

Christianity, which emerged in the first half of the 1st century AD, spread outside Jerusalem for the first time in Antakya.

The first use of the word “Christian” to describe the followers of Jesus occurred here. St. Peter used a cave he discovered as a church—the first Christian church.

During this period, Antakya was the third largest city of the Roman Empire.

It possessed strong fortifications, numerous works of art, monuments, temples, a theater, a hippodrome, an agora, baths, and wide, orderly streets.

Floors of wealthy homes were decorated with mosaics.

In 395 AD, the Roman Empire split into two.

Remaining within the borders of Eastern Rome (Byzantium), Antakya was conquered by Islamic armies in 638 and subsequently ruled by the Umayyads, Abbasids, the Tulunids, and the Ikhshidids.

In 969, it was returned to Byzantine rule.

During this era, Antakya changed hands between Crusader principalities and Islamic Beyliks.

The Crusader Principality of Antioch came to an end after the arrival of the Mamluks in 1268. Later, Turkmen groups settled in the region.

In 1516, following Sultan Selim I’s entry into Aleppo, Antakya came under Ottoman rule. Numerous soldiers and guards were settled in the region, and major construction projects were implemented: fortifications were repaired; mosques, inns, baths, marketplaces, docks, shipyards, covered bazaars, and mills—many of which survive to this day—were built. Guild systems were established, and Antakya became a lively commercial center with streets designated to various trades.

In 1832, Ibrahim Pasha, the son of Egypt’s Governor Mehmet Ali Pasha, conquered Syria; in 1839, the Ottomans retook Aleppo.

Administrative changes followed with the declaration of the Tanzimat Reforms.

During World War I, Arab groups revolted against the Ottoman Empire and collaborated with the British and their allies.

Although the Armistice of Mudros was signed on 30 October 1918, the Allied Powers violated its terms and occupied Antakya and its surroundings.

The first armed resistance occurred in Dörtyol, where the first bullet of the Turkish National Struggle was fired on 19 December 1918.

Local militias in Antakya, Altınözü, and Yayladağı engaged French occupying forces. The region remained under French occupation while Türkiye fought the Greek invasion in the West.

Due to the nation’s exhaustion and weakened military, Türkiye sought an agreement with France.

Hatay remained under French control but was granted cultural autonomy for the local Turkish population.

When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited Adana on 15 March 1923, locals pleaded, “Save us, Pasha!” to which he replied,

“A land that has been Turkish for forty centuries cannot remain under enemy occupation.”

Although several agreements were signed with France, Syrians also sought the annexation of Hatay to Syria.

When France transferred İskenderun to Syria in violation of the Ankara Agreement, Atatürk renamed the region “Hatay” and brought the issue to the League of Nations, declaring: “The Hatay issue is my personal cause.”

As a result of Atatürk’s efforts, Turkish and French delegations reached an agreement.

On 5 July 1938, 2,500 Turkish and 2,500 French soldiers entered Hatay to oversee elections. The Hatay State was established and quickly institutionalized, strengthening its ties with Türkiye.

With the growing threat of World War II, Türkiye proposed the incorporation of Hatay into its territory.

Following prolonged negotiations, on 29 June 1939, the Hatay Assembly held its final session and voted for unification with Türkiye.

On 23 July 1939, the Turkish flag was raised at the Barracks in Antakya, completing the transfer.

Hatay became the 67th province of the Republic of Turkey.

FAITH TOURISM

Hatay is a mosaic of religions—a place where the call to prayer, church bells, and synagogue chants coexist.

Its ancient cities, religious centers, and countless historical sites make Antakya the heart of this cultural heritage.

Antakya is a major center where people of various religions and beliefs live together in peace, home to mosques, churches, and synagogues.

Of the ten most important Christian holy sites in the world outside Jerusalem and the Vatican, eight lie within Türkiye’s borders:

Antakya, Urfa, Cappadocia, Tarsus, Demre, İznik, Istanbul, and Ephesus (Selçuk).

Hatay hosts the world’s first Catholic Church, the Church of Saint Peter (St. Pierre).

Historically a major center of Christianity, it was one of the four principal patriarchates. Significant monasteries include the Monastery of St. Simon Stylite, Barlaam Monastery in Yayladağı, and Keldağı Barlaam Monastery.

Hatay is also an important religious center for Muslims.

Must-see mosques include the Habib-i Neccar Mosque, Sheikh Ahmad Kuseyri Mosque, and the Grand Mosque.

MOSQUES

The Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami)

Built in the 16th century, the mosque reflects Seljuk architectural character.

Covered with vaults and flat roofing, it bears the Hijri date 1117 on its inscription.

As the oldest and largest mosque in Antakya, located by the Asi River, its interior is simple, as in all Turkish mosques, with precious carpets and walls adorned with gold-lettered verses.

The structure is believed to be from the Mamluk period, with several restorations during the Ottoman era.

It features a rectangular east–west plan and a tall cylindrical Ottoman-style minaret crowned with a pointed conical cap.

The minaret bears an inscription dated 1704 relating to one of its restorations.

Engravings show that the minaret’s style has remained the same for at least 200 years.

Its courtyard is spacious, stone-paved, and features a fountain for ablution. Another inscription shows it was repaired after the earthquake of 1872.

Other notable mosques and complexes include:

• Habib-i Neccar Mosque
• Sheikh Ahmad Kuseyri Mosque and Tomb
• Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Complex
• Payas Sokullu Complex
• The Ulu Mosque

CHURCHES OF HATAY

The Santa Churches Group (Dumanlı–Central) was once an important settlement area.

Among its most significant churches are:

• Theodore Church (Terzil)
• Prophet Elijah (Ilyas) Church (Binatlı)
• Kyriaki Church (İşhan)
• Christopher Church (İşhan Piştoflu)
• Çakallı Church
• Constantine and St. Peter Churches (Çinganlı)

POSTA SAĞLIK VE EĞİTİM VAKFI

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