Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου (in Ancient Greek) | |
Alternate name | Syrian Antioch |
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Location | Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey |
Coordinates | 36°12′17″N 36°10′54″E / 36.20472°N 36.18167°ECoordinates: 36°12′17″N 36°10′54″E / 36.20472°N 36.18167°E |
Area | 15 km2 (5.8 sq mi) |
History | |
Builder | Seleucus I Nicator |
Founded | 300 BC |
Periods | Hellenistic to Medieval |
Cultures | Greek, Roman, Armenian, Arab, Turkish |
Events | First Crusade |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1932–1939 |
Condition | Mostly buried |
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side (left bank) of the Orontes River on the site of the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.
It was founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals. Antioch became a rival of Alexandria as the chief city of the nearer East and the cradle of gentile Christianity. It was one of the four cities of the Syrian tetrapolis.