After being commissioned by the Holy Spirit "for the work to which I have called them " (Acts 13:2, NIV), Barnabas and Saul "went down", from inland Syrian Antioch, to the port town of Seleucia Pieria to sail for Salamis in Cyprus. This is the only mention of Seleucia Pieria in the Acts narrative, but it may be inferred whenever the travellers return to Syrian Antioch by sea, e.g. Acts 14:26.
The city of Seleucia Pieria, itself, was just north of the estuary where the Orontes River, which flowed through Syrian Antioch, emptied into the Mediterranean Sea.
1 Maccabees 11:8 - Refers to 'Seleucia by the sea', the port city of Syrian Antioch, in the context of one more episode in the long running contest between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties for control of the Levant.
I was able to visit Seleucia Pieria in 2012, as part of a personal journey visiting locations associated with the so-called First Missionary Journey.
From my base in Antakya (Syrian Antioch) I caught a local bus service to Çevlik on the coast. On the way I was encouraged to take a side trip to the Monastery of Simeon Stylites the Younger. It was worth the visit but I was trapped into a paying an unexpected taxi fare!
Once at Çevlik, the first and most obvious site was Titus' Tunnel. This masterpiece of ancient engineering was designed to protect Seleucia Pieria from the severe seasonal flooding of the Orontes River catchment, which threatened the operational value of the port. Antioch on the Orontes, was a large and important city of the Roman Empire - a threat to the port at Seleucia Pieria was a threat to the viability of the city. I did not have enough time for more than a short walk into the discharge channel near the waterfront.
On the coast, just south of the modern port, are the remains of stonework from the ancient harbour. I did not know it at the time, and I'm not sure if it is accessible, but the outlines of the silted up inner harbour are visible in Google Earth if you know where to look. See image below.
Click here for a Google Earth view of Seleucia Pieria.
Click 'View larger map' and select satellite view to see the remains of the outer harbour.
Click 'View larger map' and select satellite view: the dark fields identified by the pin mark follow the shape of the inner harbour.
The discharge channel of Titus' Tunnel is accessible from close to the waterfront, just north of the old stonework, above.
High in the hills to the south of the road from Antakya to Çevlik, this is a worthwhile side trip if you have the time. It will require an extra fare!
Previous: Samothrace Next: Sidon
Return to the Locations list.