Antakya, ancient Antioch, offers the characteristics of a world city that is rich in architecture and planning.The city was established by one of Alexander the Great's generals around 300 BC in the fertile Orontes Valley at the foot of the Silipus mountain where springs of fresh water flow year-round.
As an expanding commercial and cultural center, the city soon grew to become the third largest within the Roman Empire and earned the name - "The Queen of the East."
Antakya has always been proud of its cultural mosaics while embracing people from many backgrounds. The city quickly became the a center for the teachings of Jesus Christ with an emphasis on faith surpassing cultural and ethnic boundaries. It was in Antakya where the followers of Jesus were first called "Christians". Antakya has since been the epicenter of multi-culturalism based on faith and tourism.