Antiochia ad Cragum is an ancient city located near the neighborhood of Güneyköy in the Gazipaşa district of Antalya Province, perched on steep cliffs along the Mediterranean coast. Situated 60 kilometers east of Alanya in the region historically known as Rough Cilicia, this settlement owes its origins and name to narratives and kings deeply rooted in history.
According to historical records and traditions, the city was founded around 170 BC by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The naming and foundation of the city were shaped within the turbulent political atmosphere of the Hellenistic period, and in subsequent years it became associated with the name of King Antiochus IV of Commagene.
The destiny of the city was woven through centuries of changing hands. Minting coins from the mid-first century BC to the mid-third century BC, the settlement issued its final known coins under the Roman Emperor Valerian, recording the last flickers of its ancient splendour. In the 12th century, the city became part of the kingdom of Lesser Armenia, and in 1332 it was captured by the Knights Hospitallers.
Throughout the Middle Ages and papal documents, the city was referred to by various names. Mentioned as 'Antiocheta in Rufine' in the papal bull of Pope John XXII, the settlement acquired designations such as Antiochetta, Antiocheta, and Antiochia Parva. Although some scholars argue that this mysterious city is identical to Cragus or Sidyma, these claims remain part of historical debates and legendary possibilities.
The ruins of the city spread across three distinct elevations, offering visitors an open-air labyrinth. The first section contains a colonnaded street, agora, baths, a triumphal arch, and church remains, while the second section comprises a necropolis area featuring tomb structures unique to the Cilician region. The third section consists of medieval fortress ruins perched on steep rocks extending into the sea.
Among the heart of the site are a temple whose architectural elements can still be discerned to the north, and a structure called Triconchos with three apse-shaped walls believed to have a religious function. Among the archaeological finds brought to light are a well-preserved mythological Medusa figure with visible snakes in her hair, alongside mosaics and other architectural fragments that illuminate the city's past.
During the Byzantine era, Antiochia Parva served as the seat of an episcopal see in the Roman province of Isauria within the Diocese of the East, affiliated with the Patriarchate of Antioch. Mentioned in councils attended by figures such as Antonius, Theodosius, Acacius, Zacharias, and Theophanes, this bishopric is today listed as a suppressed and titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.
Today, located within the borders of Güneyköy and explorable in about a two-hour walk, Antiochia ad Cragum carries the winds of the ancient Mediterranean and the mystery of its steep cliffs into the present. Visitors walk accompanied by the legendary echoes of the past in this unique geography that traces centuries of transformation.
Wikimedia research dossier · Last checked: 2026-09-22 10:52:41
