From Past To Present: Hatay

A City That Defies Time: Hatay

The history of Hatay dates back to 100.000 and 40.000 before Christ. This city that defies the destruction of time has managed to be on the forefront with its beauty, natural and cultural background and the warmth of its people. We need to take a closer look at its history in order to get to know better this city which was even mentioned in the Greek mythology. Let’s see, what is there in the past of Hatay that even survived for long years as a state on its own.

The Port City of Mesopotamia

Hatay is the port city of Mesopotomia, where the human history began… It has been a host to numerous cultures, civilizations and beliefs throughout history. The city which is a trade hub accepted so many guests from neighboring settlements and welcomed them that it became a mosaic on its own and acquired ancient wisdom.

The Favorite of The Bronz Age

In this ancient city with a history of thousands of years, the first settlers were the Akkadians. The Akkadians who settled on the Amik Plain in the city Hatay that was the favorite of the Bronz Age ruled the city until the Yamhad Kingdom in the 1800s BC.

We told you that countless civilizations were founded and demolished in this city… The city was conquered by the Hittites towards the end of the 17^th century BC. In 1490 BC, Egypt ruled this fertile land. After Egypt, the Urartians came here, they were followed by the Assyrians and finally, the beauty of this city even inspired the Persians.

And The City of Antioch was Established

Let’s go to 300 BC. The city of Antioch was established and started to develop rapidly. The city, which did not drop beneath the radar of Rome was conquered in 64 BC and became the capital of the Syrian state of the Empire. After a while, Antioch was conquered by Muslim armies and stayed under the rule of the Abbasids and the Umayyads. In 969, the city was added to the lands of the Byzantine, the most important civilization of the Christianity and played a great role in the Crusades of the 11^th and the 12^th centuries. When it was 1268, it was taken from the Byzantine by the Mamluks that reigned over Egypt and Syria for 300 years.

Where Is The Ottoman?

Let’s talk about what we want to really know, when did the Ottoman Empire rule these lands?

In 1516, Sultan Selim the Resolute, father of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, conquered the city. Antioch, taken from the Mamluks, was first ruled as a sanjak city under the rule of Aleppo, but then it was considered a town. Antioch, which was one the longest lasting cities of the state, remained under the reign of the Ottoman for 402 years.

What About After That?

We are on the page of the First World War among the dusty pages of history. After this war, according to the treaty signed by the French and the Turks, military troops of 5 thousand soldiers in total from both sections in equal numbers were deployed in the city. On July 4, 1938, the next day after this decision taken to preserve the status of Hatay, it was concluded that the city would become a sovereign republic in the Hatay Council Meeting. Thus, the Republic of Hatay was declared on September 2, 1938.

The Last Gift of Atatürk To Turkey

The Head Teacher, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who took part in the establishment of the Republic of Hatay, as an example to the people of Turkey that adopted the principle of “Peace at home, peace in the world”, declared that the Republic of Hatay was annexed to the soil of the Republic of Turkey on June 30, 1939. Therefore, Hatay was acknowledged as the last gift of Atatürk to the Turkish nation.