Antakya, Turkey

Antakya also known as Antioch, Antioch-on-the-Orontes, or Hatay is the capital of Hatay Province, Mediterranean Turkey. It is not to be confused with Antalya, another city in Mediterranean Turkey, but located several hundred kilometers to west from Antakya.This city in the very south of Turkey was an important centre of early Christianity, with some of the first non-hidden churches. Today it's a truly multicultural place, where you can hear prayers in many different tongues. Many sects of Christianity (Greek Orthodoxy, Syriac Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism to name a few) and Islam, as well as Judaism, are all represented with their dedicated temples in Antakya. The city is not located on the sea-shore, but the Asi River (formerly known as the Orontes River) flows through the city center. Antakya is located on the banks of the Orontes River (Turkish: Asi Nehri), approximately 22 km (14 mi) inland from the Mediterranean coast. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers, and mild and wet winters; however due to its higher altitude, Antakya has slightly cooler temperatures than the coast. The city is in a valley surrounded by mountains, the Nur Mountains (ancient Amanos) to the north and Mount Keldað (Jebel Akra to the south, with the 440 m high Mount Habib Neccar (ancient Silpius) forming its eastern limits. The mountains are a source of a green marble. Antakya is at the northern edge of the Dead Sea Rift and vulnerable to earthquakes.