As my wife is Turkish, I've had the pleasure of visiting Turkey on four separate occasions (with one being our wedding!). While Istanbul gets most of the attention (and rightfully so, as it is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities on earth), there are also quite a few other great cities to visit.
On a 2008 trip, I visited Antakya, a city in the far south of Turkey close to the Syrian border (this is Antioch for those of a Biblical inclination). Cool little city with an interesting mix of cultures: I heard almost as much Arabic on the streets as I did Turkish. This was the place in Turkey where I had the greatest sense of being on the cusp of the Middle East. Enjoy the pics!
Interesting pictures. Is there any visible evidence of the ancient city?
In ancient times, Antioch was the third-largest city in the Roman Empire after Alexandria and Rome itself. It was seriously damaged by a severe earthquake in the 6th Century, CE and further damaged when sacked by the Persians twelve years later. The city was a major Christian center and was thought by some to be the city where "gentile" Christianity originated. It was finally destroyed by Muslim invaders.
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