Outside the town of Antakya, the Grotto of St. Peter is the Cave Church from which the apostle preached for the first time and where he established the Christian community. In 1983 the church was declared a holy site by the Vatican. Other places of interest include a bustling bazaar and the Mosque of Habib Neccar. South of the grotto, the Iron Gate was one of the actual entrances of biblical Antioch.
Strolling through the old part of town, you cannot help recalling that St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Barnabas, and other saints walked these streets, for little has changed since that time. The Castle of Antioch, set high above the city, offers a magnificent view over the city and the plain.