Hatay is famous for its kunefe desert, excellent Greek mosaics at the local museum and the strong Arabic influence. The old town area is artfully renovated and converts to elegant cafes and restaurants, probably the heritage of its earlier French influence. This guide includes why visit, how to get there, where to stay, and where to go next.
Why to go to Hatay (Antakya)?
Hatay (or Antakya or Antioch) is three hours away (officially) from Gaziantep and is the capital of the southern province of Hatay. Until 1938 it was part of Syria and the French Mandate of Syria between 1920 and 1938.
Unfortunately, no French remnants like a fresh baguette or a croissant from your local boulangerie as in Vietnam (bánh mì!), but plenty of excellent Arabic and Arabic-infused food here. The city still has a strong Arabic presence with almost half of the population. There are also strong Christian (Greek Orthodox, Syriac) and Jewish influences.
On the history dimension, the Hatay Archeology Museum is another outstanding mosaic museum. If visited after Zeugma, you might be already mosaic museum-tired but it is still excellent. There are also some early Christianity sites: the church of Saint Peter is allegedly the first Christian church located on the hillside.
Finally, similar to the other south-eastern Anatolian cities, the food is excellent here but with an additional Arabic twist. Hatay is also the place famed for its sweet kunefe desert.
How to get there?
Similar to the other Anatolian cities, Hatay connects well to the other cities nearby, but with fewer connections. A word of caution though. When travelling from Gaziantep, there are effectively two local companies: Hatay Birlik and Yazar, with Hatay Birlik having all convenient departures between 06:00 and 08:00, which might be the preferred travel time during the summer heat.
Unfortunately, the Hatay Birlik coaches are not the regular Mercedes / Man / VDL ones, but old medium-size buses with 2+2 arrangement, no wifi and, more importantly, the air-conditioning not working (at least on my trip). In addition, Hatay Birlik is not taking the highway, but the parallel slower roads through the villages and towns to collect all passengers on the way.
And all this at 40km/h average speed, which I initially thought was the top velocity of our distinguished vehicle. Therefore, the trip will be long, cramped with standing passengers, no wifi or air-conditioning with open ceiling hatches blowing your head away. The ride is scheduled to be 3 hours and 35 minutes, but you will be lucky if you arrive in less than 4 hours and 30 minutes (I was not).
It probably pays to be philosophical on the way that this is the price to get to Hatay and be one of the few tourists there. There are other longer-distance companies (e.g., Öz Diyarbakir at 00:30, 14:30 and 15:45) but less frequent and they might be delayed.
On the positive side, Hatay Birlik will stop at the bus station in the city center, 10-15 minutes walking distance from the hotels, restaurants and cafes. The city center is compact and walkable, unless going to the archeology museum, there is no need for a taxi.
Where to stay in Hatay?
Hatay has a range of nice hotels artfully renovated all in the compact city center. I stayed at the Antik Beyazit Hotel, which I highly recommend. An old Ottoman hotel exquisitely renovated with high ceilings outstanding in the hot weather and a large room with nice furniture. Strong air-conditioning, powerful water flow and stable wifi. A comfortable bed, a sumptuous breakfast buffet, and a helpful and nice reception staff. Exceeded my expectations.
Surprisingly, Hatay is full of atmospheric cafes and restaurants located in the compact city center next to the river. Especially at night when they are well-lit, the area is perfect (and safe) to stroll around and watch the locals. As Hatay is further west, there is a wide variety of alcoholic beverages available, which was not the case in more conservative Sanliurfa.
The early Christian church of St Peter (or St Pierre as on the signs) is allegedly the first Christian temple located on the hillside on the road to the Hatay archeological museum.
Where to go next?
Within a few hours bus ride from Hatay, Anatolia offers other interesting historical sites:
- unique ancient Greek monuments in Nemrut Dagi (Guide to Nemrut Dagi, Turkey (2022))
- Göbekli tepe, a temple complex allegedly 11,000 years old (Sanliurfa and Göbekli tepe (11,000 years old!)))
- Mardin, a well-preserved Silk Road town (Mardin: ancient Silk Road town)
and outstanding large cities:
- Gaziantep (Antep) with the best food in Turkey
- Diyarbakir with the best breakfast in Turkey
For the overall guide to southern Turkey: Guide to Southern Turkey (Anatolia): Why Visit / Itinerary
