THE HOTEL
The story of The Museum Hotel Antakya is as epic as any ancient text and as intriguing as any contemporary classic. Comprising 2,300 years of history – and counting – it rises from the dust of yesteryear to breathe new life into humanity's past, present and future.
The Asfuroğlu Family, who laid the foundations for a new hotel, was not aware of the awaiting miracle and its infinite impacts on the region. The discovery of historical artifacts while laying the foundation set them on a 10- year journey that would bring the past to life.
Following preliminary research, it was
decided to drill in 29 spots. As the
treasures on the hotel grounds were
revealed, the excavation area was
expanded to 17,312 square meters,
making it one of Turkey's greatest
systematic excavation sites since 1930.
From July 2010 to the end of July 2011, 35
archaeologists, 120 workers, and five
restorer-architects worked continuously
to make one of the most amazing
discoveries of the twenty-first century.
The search for a visionary (and, of
course, dreamer) architect to design a
modern hotel capable of protecting the
underground treasures began on a
national and international scale. Emre
Arolat, owner of Turkey's award-winning
architectural firm, EAA Architecture, was
the sought-after visionary.
The installation of the 66 columns on
which the building, which needed to be
constructed with the utmost care, when
built cost more than four times the
initial price due to the precious
treasures, but it was decided that it was
worth it to preserve thousands of years
of history.
Due to the priceless artefacts, the installation of the 66 columns from which the structure will rise, which will be performed with the utmost care, will cost more than four times the initial price, but it was deemed worthy in order to preserve centuries of history.
Construction started in July 2011. The project required around 20,000 tons of structural steel and 3,000 tons of rebar, with steel construction accounting for 90% of the total. The architect Emre Arolat described the Museum Hotel Antakya, which has 3 times the amount of steel used in the Eiffel Tower in Paris, as "a structure attached to the archaeological site."
The Museum Hotel Antakya opened its doors as a
modern masterpiece that brings a history to life
after about 3,000 days and 6 million hours of work.
This place has turned into a miracle that offers its
visitors remarkable sensations, allowing them to
travel across centuries while feeling the energy of
the past on the one hand and adding their own
stories to the layers of civilization on the other.
The site is home to approximately thirty thousand
artefacts, the largest single-piece floor mosaic in the
world, a Roman bath, and a wall that was built in the
third century B.C.
