Geography

Midtown Harbiye is about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Antakya

Antakya

Antakya is the seat of the Hatay Province in southern Turkey, near the border with Syria. The mayor is Lütfü Savaş.Known as Antioch in ancient times, the city has historical significance for Christianity, as it was the place where the followers of Jesus Christ were called Christians for the first...

, the administrative center of Hatay Province

Hatay Province

Hatay Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. It is bordered by Syria to the south and east and the Turkish provinces of Adana and Osmaniye to the north. The province is part of Çukurova, a geographical, economical and cultural region that covers the provinces of...

 at 36°07′50"N 36°08′40"E. It is situated in the valley of Asi (classical Orontes) with an average altitude of 240 metres (787.4 ft) The population is 24706 (as of 2010) and it is higher than most other towns.

History

Daphne was a resort town during Seleucid Empire

Seleucid Empire

The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...

 , famous for waterfalls, daphnes

Daphne (plant)

Daphne is a genus of between 50 and 95 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs in the family Thymelaeaceae, native to Asia, Europe, and north Africa...

, and residence buildings. However, it was also famous for earthquakes and the ancients buildings were demolished during big earthquakes.

Economy

Main economic activity is domestic tourism; hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops etc. The town is proud of the Daphne

Daphne

Daphne was a female minor nature deity. Pursued by Apollo, she fled and was chased. Daphne begged the gods for help, who then transformed her into Laurel.-Overview:...

mitology. There is also a minor silk industry. On the other hand, owing to closeness some Harbiye residents work in Antakya.