Greece (Brussels Morning) The Antioch Greek Orthodox Church brought Christians together in Turkey’s Antakya for centuries until last year, when an earthquake killed dozens of them and sent hundreds more fleeing.
Though it now lies in ruins, many pray it will again bring them back.
“Our churches are leveled and our bell towers are silent,” Fadi Hurigil, head of the Greek Orthodox Church Foundation of Antakya, said on Tuesday at a mass held for victims of the 7.8 magnitude quake that devastated southern Turkey and northwestern Syria on Feb. 6 last year.
The deadliest disaster in modern Turkey’s history, the quake killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and nearly 6,000 in Syria, and left millions homeless. It also ravaged the rich cultural and religious heritage of Antakya, which was once called Antioch and was founded in 300 BC by the Seleucid dynasty.
Despite facing numerous natural disasters, Antioch is portrayed as a resilient city that continuously rose again from destruction. Roman historian Cassius Dio chronicled a devastating earthquake on December 13, 115, claiming tens of thousands of lives, with Emperor Trajan narrowly escaping death during his visit to the city. In the aftermath, survivors sought refuge in the open expanse of the hippodrome, reminiscent of contemporary gatherings of survivors in modern stadiums.
Throughout its history, Antioch has endured a multitude of earthquakes, natural calamities, religious conflicts, occupations, and even a devastating plague around 500 AD that resulted in the loss of nearly half of the world’s population. For instance, the earthquake of 526, as recounted by the renowned Byzantine historian John Malalas, a native of Antioch, is illustrative. Modern scholars estimate that this seismic event, registering a magnitude of 7.0, claimed approximately 250,000 lives. Malalas describes how the disaster, compounded by subsequent fires, led to a complete breakdown of local governance in the city.
Hellenic Origins, Global Impact
The concept of a new city that would be the capital of a rising empire was introduced by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. Antioch was founded at the mouth of the Orontes River, situated approximately 300 miles north of Jerusalem and 20 miles inland from the Mediterranean. Initially founded as a Greek Macedonian settlement, Antioch eventually came under the dominion of the Roman Empire, which assumed complete authority over the city in 25 BCE.
However, unlike sites such as Ephesus, Antioch offers limited archaeological remnants due to modern development covering much of its ancient past. Visiting archaeologically inclined Christian pilgrims may only encounter sections of fortification walls and aqueduct foundations within the city. Notably, a visit to the harbor at Seleucia nearby offers a tangible link to the biblical era, as it was from here that the apostles embarked on their journey to Cyprus.
Despite Turkey’s predominantly Muslim population, the city boasts a Greek Orthodox church, rebuilt after a 1872 earthquake, a Catholic church, and a contemporary synagogue, all situated on streets once laid by Herod the Great. Antioch, as Christians know it, held significant importance to the apostle Paul and has inspired various churches and ministries bearing its name.
Over the past two millennia, Antioch has been home to a continuous Christian presence, enduring various imperial transitions. These included rule under the Persians, an Arab caliphate, the Byzantines, the Seljuk Turks, the Crusaders, and the Mamlūks. The Mamlūks, upon their arrival in 1268, besieged and ransacked the city, resulting in the deaths of 17,000 individuals and the widespread destruction of churches and a monastery situated beyond the city limits.
In 1517, control of the city passed to the Ottoman Empire. Following the empire’s collapse after World War I, Antakya briefly became part of Syria before rejoining Turkey in 1939. Subsequently, Antakya experienced population growth and infrastructural development. At the time of the recent earthquakes, its population had reached around 225,000 residents.
The Grotto of St. Peter, a church built within a cave on Neccar Mountain, is steeped in Christian lore surrounding the renowned apostle. In 2010, an excavation unearthed a treasure trove of 30,000 artifacts, including a Roman bath and the world’s largest intact floor mosaic, exhibiting signs of an ancient earthquake. A museum showcasing these discoveries opened its doors in 2020.
The Antiochs of the Roman, Christian, and Crusader eras are often regarded as conceptual cities due to the absence of standing remains representing these periods. Instead, our understanding of these epochs is formed from fragmented and isolated remnants, offering only a limited glimpse into the city’s illustrious history. Despite extensive studies providing detailed insights into specific aspects of these periods, our overall comprehension remains quite sparse. The lack of comprehensive urban archaeological endeavors means that the fundamental elements of earlier layers of Antioch’s history remain largely obscure and unexplored.
