Saint Pierre Church - Hatay

It is located near Habib-i Neccar Mountain, two kilometers from the city on the Antakya-Reyhanlı road. It is a natural cave and has been converted into a church with additions. Although the exact construction date is unknown; It is believed that it is the place where St. Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, first preached and that the community in the cave first took the name 'Christian'. Therefore St. Pierre Church is known as the first church of Christianity.
The cave took the form of a gothic style church with the additions made after Christianity was accepted as the official religion by the Roman State. With the acceptance of St. Peter as the first Pope, it became a center for the spread of the Catholic faith throughout the world.
On the floor of the cave, there are destroyed mosaic remains dating back to the 4th and 5th centuries AD. There is also an altar, a small marble niche in St. There is a statue of Pierre, water that is considered sacred, and a tunnel that allowed the community to escape secretly during the attack. It was declared a place of pilgrimage for Christians by Pope Paul VI in 1983. A mass is held here by the Catholic Church every year on June 29.