Ancient Shops Unearthed in Antioch Reveal Trade and Pilgrimage in Early Christianity

Rescue excavations in the ancient city of Antioch (Antiocheia), in modern Hatay, Türkiye, are shedding new light on the city’s economic and religious life during the 4th and 5th centuries CE. Recent discoveries near the world-famous St. Peter’s Church demonstrate that the site was not only a spiritual center for early Christian pilgrims but also a bustling marketplace.

Finds Link Pilgrimage and Commerce

The ongoing excavations, led by the Hatay Archaeology Museum with support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, revealed the remains of ancient shops alongside a rich collection of artifacts, including terracotta oil lamps, storage jars, and clay bottles.
“These discoveries confirm that St. Peter’s Church was not just a pilgrimage destination,” said Ali Ateş, Acting Director of the Hatay Archaeology Museum. “It also functioned as a focal point of trade, showing how faith and commerce were deeply connected in Antioch.”

St. Peter’s Church and the Role of Antioch in Late Antiquity

Carved into a mountainside, St. Peter’s Church is considered one of the earliest surviving cave churches in the world and has long been recognized as a landmark of Christian pilgrimage. The new finds provide evidence that religious tourism in Late Antiquity fostered urban economic activity, with shops and traders serving visitors who came to Antioch from across the eastern Mediterranean.

Towards an Archaeopark for Heritage and Tourism

Archaeologists plan to extend the excavations toward the Necmi Asfuroğlu Archaeology Museum area in the coming years. Once research is completed, the site is expected to be transformed into an archaeopark, ensuring both preservation of Antioch’s cultural heritage and a new attraction for international visitors.

Antioch: The Queen of the East

Founded in the late 4th century BCE by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great’s generals, Antioch (Antiocheia on the Orontes) became one of the most influential cities of the ancient world. Known as the “Queen of the East,” it served as the capital of the Seleucid Empire and later as a key provincial center of Rome and Byzantium.

With its strategic position on trade routes linking the Mediterranean to Mesopotamia, Antioch thrived as a hub of commerce, culture, and faith. By the 1st century CE, it rivaled Alexandria and Constantinople in size and importance. It also holds a central place in Christian history, as it was here that the followers of Jesus were first called “Christians.”