The Enc. Britt. mentions about Iskenderun: formerly Alexandretta seaport and chief city of İskenderun ilçe (district), Hatay il (province), southern Turkey, located on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Iskenderun. It lies on or near the site of Alexandria ad Issum, founded to commemorate Alexander the Great's victory over Darius III at Issus (333 BC). The port was an outlet for the medieval and early modern overland trade from Iran, India, and eastern Asia, before the development of alternate shipping routes around the Cape of Good Hope and later through the Suez Canal. Traditionally, it was the port for the Ottoman province of Aleppo, now in Syria, and in 1918–37 it served as the capital of the autonomous sancak (subdivision of an Ottoman province) of Alexandretta under French mandate. After the return of the district (renamed Hatay) to Turkey (1939), İskenderun was replaced by Antioch (Antakya) as provincial capital but grew rapidly through improvement in its port facilities, its choice as a military centre and Turkish naval base on the Mediterranean, the establishment of industries (chiefly fertilizer and steel), and the construction of the oil pipeline from Raman Dağı. By 1955 it had surpassed Antioch in population. Lying on an alluvial plain below the Nur Dağları (mountains), modern İskenderun has fine buildings and avenues and is well served by highways and a railway linking it with other Turkish towns. I agree. I visited the town during a religious holiday (that of the sacrifice), so there was little activity in the town. It felt like a modern town that it will be nice to live in, however, it lacked ancient buildings. I have probably missed out on some neighbourhoods, since I quickly joint the crowd of people walking along the seaboard with its huge monument. I did not take many pictures, my apologies to the Iskenderun people.
Ulu Cami in Iskenderun
Atatürk monument in Iskenderun
Iskenderun dec 2008 6635.jpg
Iskenderun Monument for the fallen in the Korean War 6637.jpg
My nice hometown. Thank you for the photos.Hope it recovers from earthquake quickly and back to it's old nice days. A small correction, it is below Amanos Dağları.
Guest
22-Jul-2013 04:50
My hometown. I am living in Azerbijan now. Checked the photos with my eyes wet.
Guest
05-Jan-2012 21:16
I was born in Iskenderun, and left by the age of 7 never to return. Thank you for your photos. admire your work.
adnan
05-Jan-2009 19:46
amsterdam ile karsilastirmak cok zor valla memeleketim daha guzel ve daha misafirpever.... oost west thuis best . yinede tesekkurler