Antakya, Turkey: Funding archaeology through tourism

Antakya, Turkey: Funding archaeology through tourism

The small city of Antakya in southern Turkey may not seem like the most exciting place in the world to many.  This location, however, was once home to the famed city of Antioch.  One of the largest and more glorious cities in this region’s past, Antioch has seen influences from the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans and others.  Little did one entrepreneur know that when he went to build a hotel in Antakya he would stumble upon one of the biggest archaeological finds in recent history.

While digging out what would eventually become the basement of the new hotel, ancient remains were found.  It appeared that the hotel idea was scrapped.  Nearly 8 months went by while a team of more than 100 people worked on digging up the site.  Among what they found beneath the earth are one of the largest still-intact mosaic floors in the world and remains of buildings that stretch back more than 2000 years.  The above-mentioned hotel-builder thought his dream was done for sure.

Instead of giving up, however, he decided to get clever.  Archaeology is always an underfunded pursuit, so he negotiated with the necessary powers to keep building the hotel as long as the site remained undisturbed.  As part of the deal, he will be assisting in funding the dig and building a museum into the hotel.

Once again commercial interests and the recovery of history go hand-in-hand.  Business continues as usual, except now the world will be getting on of the most unique hotels ever made.  People will be able to enjoy their stay at the high-class accommodation and take a stroll to see a piece of Turkey’s ancient history without even removing their bath slippers.

After months of working out the structural details, construction is now underway with the full support of the archaeological community.  It’s good to see that the hotel project wasn’t just abandoned in favor of a new location.  By spending a bit of extra money and time, the result will be a preservation of history that will bring visitors from around the world to this remarkable hotel.