Hatay Archaeology Museum

Antioch on the Orontes was one of the largest cities of the Roman world, and the villas of its wealthy suburb at Daphne had floors laid with mosaic of exceptional quality. Excavations from the 1930s onward lifted them, and the Hatay museum holds the result: room after room of second- to fifth-century floors - Oceanus and Thetis, the drunken Dionysus, personifications of Soteria and Megalopsychia, hunting scenes, the famous evil-eye panel with its assembled defences against envy, and a black-and-white hunt mosaic among the largest single pieces anywhere. The collection ranks with Bardo in Tunis and Piazza Armerina for late-antique mosaic. Alongside are Hittite and Assyrian sculpture, sarcophagi and finds from across the province. The 2023 earthquakes struck Hatay severely, causing enormous loss of life and damage across Antakya including to cultural institutions; opening arrangements have changed since, and anyone planning a visit should confirm current status first.

What you actually see

• The Antioch floors - Roman villa mosaics from Daphne.
• The evil-eye panel - the assembled defences against envy.
• The great hunt mosaic - one of the largest single floors known.
• The wider collection - Hittite and Assyrian sculpture and sarcophagi.

When to go

April to June and October to November. Confirm opening arrangements before travelling - the museum's status and access have changed since the 2023 earthquakes.

Honest expectations

Antakya was heavily damaged in 2023 and the city is still rebuilding; visitor infrastructure is limited and conditions change. Check the museum is open before making the journey. Parts of the collection may be off display.

Nearby

Antakya's old town, the Church of St Peter and the Titus tunnel at Samandağ are in the province.