Antakya (Antioch ad Orontes) is the city where
the culture and traditions of Mesopotamia and Arabia met those of
the Greek and Romans.
It was a long-standing rival of Alexandria.
St.
Paul and St. Peter both preached and wrote here. Antakya is the place
where the followers
of Christ were for the first time ever, named as Christians.
Antakya Mosaic Museum houses one of the richest
collections of late Roman and Byzantine
mosaics. Some of the highlights are Narcissus
by a stream, Drunken Dionysus and Orpheus charming beasts with his
Lyre.