Where to stay in İskenderun

İskenderun (Arabic: إسكندرونة), historically known as Alexandretta (Greek: Αλεξανδρέττα, lit. 'little Alexandria') and Scanderoon, is a municipality and district of Hatay Province, Turkey. Its area is 247 km2, and its population is 251,682 (2022).

This is one of many cities named for Alexander the Great; he and his successors subdued vast swathes of Asia and North Africa. It stands on the coast at the foot of a pass through the mountains towards Antakya and Syria, and in 333 BC Alexander was victorious at the Battle of Issus somewhere on the plains on the other side. Medieval travellers called the city Alexandretta, the smaller one, to distinguish it from its greater namesake in Egypt.

Getting in

Hatay Airport (HTY) has flights several times a day from Istanbul (both IST and SAW) and daily from Ankara. It's 45 km south near Antakya: driving takes 45-60 min as the highway snakes over Belen pass. From Adana take motorway O-52 (toll) east onto O-53 / E91 then south, 133 km, say 1 hr 40 min. From Gaziantep follow O-52 west past Osmaniye to join O-53. The coast road D817 flanks O-53: it's toll-free but congested with trucks and far from scenic. South of İskenderun O-53 joins D817 and then D825 southwards to Antakya.

Getting around

Dolmuşes ply the main streets and to outlying villages. Ask your accommodation about local routes.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.