A vacation journey back 2,300 years in history.

A brand-new, luxurious 5-star hotel that opened earlier this year in Antakya, Türkiye, has quickly been hailed as a masterpiece of engineering, a unique architectural marvel, and a world-class archaeological site.

Taking 10 years to complete, the Antakya Museum Hotel, with its 200 modern rooms, is perched atop the Necmi Asfuroğlu Archaeological Museum – which houses approximately 35,000 artifacts from 13 civilizations, dating back to the third century BC.

The ancient city of Antioch

The story begins in 2009, when the Asfuroğlu family was laying the first foundations on the land where they planned to build a luxury hotel. However, they discovered the ruins of the ancient city of Antioch, located a few kilometers from present-day Antakya.

Initial plans to build a hotel on the site proved impractical, but the Asfuroğlu family accepted the challenge. They worked with the Antakya City Council, the Hatay Archaeological Museum, and the Adana Council for the Preservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage. During their 10-year project, they discovered the world's largest single-floor mosaic – approximately 1,050 square meters.²- and the world's first marble statue of the Greek god Eros, found completely intact.

Turn it into a "floating" hotel.

So how do you proceed with building a hotel on a valuable archaeological site where you're not even allowed to stand on it? The Asfuroğlu family commissioned award-winning Turkish architect Emre Arolat to design a "floating" hotel.

Approximately 20,000 tons of structural steel – four times the weight of the Eiffel Tower – were hand-welded in a specialized factory near Istanbul. Construction costs soared to $120 million – also four times their initial estimate. More than three thousand man-days and six million hours of labor were dedicated to this audacious and innovative project.

In a video about the hotel, some members of the project stated: “When discussing it among ourselves like family, we expressed our reluctance to invest so much money in this hotel project, as it was highly likely we wouldn’t recoup our investment.” However, Chairman Necmi Asfuroğlu convinced them, “This will be an internationally significant project, and it will be a legacy for humanity.”

A getaway back 2,300 years of history is ready.

The 200 guest rooms, along with public spaces such as the lobby, bar, and the distinctive Ayan Meyan restaurant – all "suspended" above the ruins – offer guests an authentic glimpse into 23 centuries of history. The building also boasts views of nearby Saint Pierre – the world's first cave church.

The hotel boasts five dining options, befitting Antakya's UNESCO World Culinary City designation. It also features a spa center and the city's largest gym. Even Antioch's original Roman baths are located beneath the hotel.

Like hotels around the world, Museum Hotel Antakya is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the hotel is now accepting reservations from June 2020 onwards.

A hotel representative stated that, despite the hotel's reopening at a "difficult and unprecedented time, we have informed all our guests and taken the necessary steps and requests to prepare for the future."

Antakya Museum Hotel

• Address: Haraparaı, St. Pierre Mevkii, Hacılar Sk., No. 26/1, 31060 Antakya / Hatay, Türkiye
• Phone number: +90 326 290 00 00
• Reservations are accepted for the second half of the year, either by contacting the hotel directly or through online travel agencies.

Lan Oanh