Saint Pierre Church, It is located on the Antakya-Reyhanlı road, two kilometers from the city, near the Habib-i Neccar Mountain. It is a natural cave and has been converted into a church with additions. Although the exact date of construction is unknown; It is believed to be the place where St. Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, first preached and that the congregation in the cave first took the name ‘Christian’. That’s why St. Pierre Church is known as the first church of Christianity.
The cave took the form of a gothic church with the additions made after Christianity was accepted as an official religion by the Roman State. With the acceptance of St. Peter as the first Pope, it became a center in the spread of the Catholic faith to the world.
Saint Pierre Church – Hatay
At the bottom of the cave, there are mosaic remains belonging to the 4th and 5th centuries AD. There is also an altar, a marble small St. There is the statue of Pierre, the sacred water, and the tunnel for the congregation to sneak out during the attack. It was declared a place of pilgrimage for Christians by Pope Paul VI in 1983. Mass is held here by the Catholic Church on June 29 every year. Saint Pierre Church