Beyond Cilicia - Antakya - 13-14 August 2022
A weekend trip to the famous 'Museum Hotel' in Antakya. Our best hotel experience ever. TBC.
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| Photo by entrance, but we paid visit next day * |
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| Elegant hall * |
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| Some info * |
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| Projection * |
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| More info * |
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| Red square shows the location of museum * |
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| Antakya was better organized in antiquity * |
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| Even more info :) * |
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| Model of excavated area * |
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| Archaeological layers * |
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Room displaying story behind
creation of this unique place * |
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| Mr Necmi Asfuroğlu - founder * |
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| Very interesting * |
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| Coins that reveal history * |
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| Attractive exhibition * |
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| No water, no life * |
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| What ⌀ are they? |
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| Mr Necmi's favourite part, I guess * |
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| Romans knew their job * |
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| Roman polycandelon and olive lamps * |
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| Eros - Greek god of love * |
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Figure was originally placed in house of
Roman aristocrat * |
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| Site plan * |
The below mosaic was adorning a banquet hall of a Roman villa dated to the 2nd century (AD). The work of art depicts scenes from the Greek mythology. Basing on that and other decorations of the hall, it is believed that the villa's owner was an important, knowledgable person familiar with the Greek literature.
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| Sophisticated, beautiful Roman mosaic * |
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| Digital information, very useful * |
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| Pegasus * |
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| Calliope * |
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| Eight Muses * |
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| Personifications of Boeotia and Mount Helicon * |
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| Cupids * |
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| Original location of Eros (see above) * |
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| She likes mosaics! * |
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This is when my sweet daughter declared
to be future archaeologist, good luck :-* |
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| Hellenistic part * |
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| Information * |
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| Close-up 1* |
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| Close-up 2 * |
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| Roman part * |
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| Close-up 1 * |
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| Close-up 2 * |
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My attention was drawn to stone stools
of warmrooms * |
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| Roman bath - overview * |
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Church is within walking distance
from museum * |
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| The Museum Hotel seen from church * |
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| Church of Saint Peter, 4th c. (AD) * |
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Façade first built by Crusaders around
1100, restored in 19th c. *
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| Photobomb :) * |
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| Treshold mosaic * |
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| Interior seen from entrance * |
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| Altar * |
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| Interior seen from altar * |
On our way back from Antakya we stopped at Iskenderun. The name of the town reflects its history - 'Iskenderun' is a Turkish equivalent of 'Alexander'. It was Alexander the Great who founded the city after defeating the Persians at Issos in 333 BC. It was known in antiquity as Alexandretta and Alexandria ad Issum. Unfortunatelly, there are no ruins in Iskenderun, partly because the town's present-day location hardly corresponds with the ancient one.
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| Iskenderun - in antiquity known as Alexandretta * |
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| Pier at Iskenderun * |
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| My wife, daughter and immortal toy rabbit * |
