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Sunday 2004-05-16 - Antakya, Turkey
A mosaic of history
In the morning we go to St. Peter’s Grotto: the natural cave high above Antakya where St. Peter preached and founded the Christian community, later made into a church, and designated by the Pope as a holy place. Interesting historically, but there’s not really much to see. Somewhat more interesting is a huge sculpture of the face of Maria carved into the rocks near the cave; the face has been removed by Muslims later, since their belief forbids making images of humans but the outline is still recognizable. It can be reached only by clambering up rocky paths (or not-quite paths) but it’s worth the effort, and from up here the view over the city is even nicer.
Then on we go in the bus, to visit Antakya Kalesi: the original spot of old Antioch on top of the mountain. The stronghold commanded the whole river valley below. Up there, about 665m high there’s only a crumbling tower and parts of the walls left but still it gives a good idea of the size and importance of the city and the walls that girded it.
In the afternoon, after a quick lunch, we first visit a small mosque in the “new” old city, with a lovely quiet courtyard shaded by trees. Then on to the museum. The Hatay museum has a superb collection of well-conserved Roman mosaics from the second and third centuries, as well as some sarcophages, one very detailed, in which also gold ornaments and the skeletons of a man, a woman and a young woman were found. When Syria was captured by the Romans in 64 BC, Antioch became the eastern capital of the Roman empire; the museum gives a good impression of the splendors of the city in Roman times.
