Habibi Neccar Mosque was built in 638 when Antakya was conquered by the Muslim Arabs. It is considered to be the first mosque built within the borders of today’s Turkey. The mosque located on Kurtuluş Street, Hz. It is named after an Antiochian who first believed in the apostles of Jesus and gave his life for this cause. This event is mentioned in Surah Yasin in the Quran.
According to rumors, in the 40s AD, Hz. When the apostles of Jesus come to Antakya and try to explain that there is only one God, a carpenter (neccar) comes first among those who believe them. Neccar abandons his Pagan beliefs and joins them. But the new sermons of the apostles anger the people. The king has the apostles imprisoned. Thereupon, a new envoy, Şem’un Safa, is sent to Antakya. Shem’un convinces the king with his miracles and saves his friends. The people, on the other hand, are determined not to believe the apostles. He plans to stone them to death because they think they bring bad luck. Habib-i Neccar is killed while trying to stop the angry people. It is rumored that his severed head rolled from the top of Habibi-i Neccar Mountain to where his tomb and tomb are now.
In the northeast corner of the mosque, 4 meters below the ground, there are the tombs of Habibi Neccar Mosque and Şem’un Safa, and at the entrance, of John and Pavlos. It is surrounded by madrasah rooms. The fountain in the courtyard of the mosque is a 19th century work.
Source: Hatay Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, Iskenderun District Governorship