Located on the foothills of Habibi Neccar Mountain in Antakya, St. Pierre Church, which is known as a secret meeting place for Christians in 30 A.D., has been restored thanks to initiatives by the Special Provincial Administration after two years of work. The church was restored remaining faithful to the original and the rocks that are situated above the cave were stabilized by wire nettings in order to protect visitors from any possible harm.
During the restoration, the original mosaics of the church were unearthed and a recreational area as well as a parking area and café were added to the complex in order to offer the best service to tourists.
According to information gathered by Antakya Archeological Museum officials, the church drew 3,869 people in 20 days after its restoration. As the museum was visited by over 200,000 people previously, officials expect the museum to draw approximately 500,000 tourists annually after its restoration.
As the pilgrimage destination of Paul IV, St. Pierre Church has a great importance for the Christian community. The church is acknowledged as the first cave church in the world by some sources and it hosts a service on Jun. 29 every year. Representatives from the Vatican as well as many Christians from around the world come to Turkey to attend the service in St. Pierre Church every year.
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