Cave Church of Saint Peter

A brief history

A cave thirteen metres deep cut into Mount Starius above Antakya — ancient Antioch, where the book of Acts says the disciples were first called Christians. Tradition holds that Peter preached here and founded the church of Antioch, though nothing dates the building reliably; the oldest surviving parts, some floor mosaic and traces of fresco beside the altar, are fourth or fifth century. Crusaders who took the city in 1098 lengthened it and built a façade, and Capuchin friars rebuilt that façade in 1863 on the orders of Pope Pius IX. It is a state museum today: services may be held inside, but only with a permit from the provincial governor.

Saints & traditions

Turkish Wikipedia records that the church was reported undamaged in the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, which destroyed much of Antakya around it.