Christian saints Paul
and Peter, and Jewish patriarchs Abraham and Job are
just a few of the names that made their mark in
eastern Turkey. It is in many ways the northern rim
of the Holy Land. According to legend, Sanliurfa, in
the south eastern corner of Turkey, is the cave
where Abraham was born 4000 years ago.
Harran, 20 minutes distant, is a community of hive-
like homes where the great warrior of Islam,
Saladin, was born. Mardin, just three hours north,
towers over the Syrian desert from atop a steep
mountain. Rich in Arabic architecture, the town has
one of the oldest Christian sects, the Syrian
Orthodox. North of Sanliurfa, amid some of the
highest mountains in Turkey, lies one of the
country's most awesome sights, the tumulus of King
Antiochus at Nemrut mountain. If caves in the dry
hills of Mesopotamia helped spawn the canon of
thought that is Christianity, then it was the
Mediterranean Sea that carried that seed abroad.
Saint Paul was born in Tarsus, a town near the
Turkish city of Adana, where Antony first met
Cleopatra. In its prime, Antakya was the third
largest city in the Roman world, after Rome and
Alexandria. |
Though little of
Herod's Antioch survives, the world's first
cathedral, on the outskirts of town, does. A tunnel
at the back of the church leads into the porous
mountains interior.
Antakya lies on both sides of the Asi River. The
city's great archaeological museum is the highlight
of any journey to Antakya. The Roman mosaics are the
most beautiful in the world. There are several
modest accomodation facilities ranging from
pansiyons to three star hotels in Antakya, in
addition to those in nearby Harbiye.
The short ride to Harbiye passes through landscape
that looks more like Tuscany than Turkey, with soft
rolling mountains that give way to rich green
valleys. In the valley, several open- air
restaurants sit around a waterfall. Many of the
tables are actually placed in the water and diners
roll up their pants legs and sit down to delicious
plates of grilled meats as the water runs over their
feet. Hatay features many historic sites that are
within easy reach, with a rental car, from Antakya.
At its northern end lies the battlefield of Issus,
where Alexander the Great routed his Persian
nemesis, Darius. |
Lake Van |
