Stand on Atatürk Blv at the western end of the waterfront, where the boulevard becomes Cengiz Topel Cd, and you have the whole shape of İskenderun in one view: the harbour and the statue of Atatürk behind you, the sweep of the gulf ahead, and the Nur Mountains rising steeply at the back of the city. The buildings along the seafront are mostly nondescript, but the light at the end of the day is not.
İskenderun suits travellers moving between Hatay and the coast, or anyone using the city as a base for the beaches and mountain towns to the south. It is a working Mediterranean port with a long merchant history, a handful of surviving religious buildings and a climate that makes mornings and evenings the best hours to be outside.
This guide covers the sights within the city and the excursions close enough for a half-day, drawn from what is known to be there now, after the earthquakes of February 2023 changed parts of the centre.
Top things to do in Iskenderun
1. Stroll the Atatürk Blv waterfront
The waterfront boulevard runs from the harbour and the statue of Atatürk in the east to Nihal Atakaş Mosque in the west, with the Naval Museum roughly midway. It is the natural first walk in the city and the easiest way to get your bearings.
Come for a sunset stroll rather than a midday one. Look for the Central Bank at the corner of Ulucami Cd, which has a 1930s Art Deco facade and is the one piece of architecture on the strip that stands out. West of the mosque the boulevard changes name to Cengiz Topel Cd and continues along the coast.
2. Iskenderun Naval Museum
The Naval Museum on Atatürk Blv exhibits the city's maritime history and the incorporation of Hatay into Turkey. It is the most substantial indoor sight in the centre and the logical complement to the waterfront walk outside its door.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, and there is an entry charge for foreign visitors. Pair it with the Atatürk statue and the harbour immediately to the east, then continue west along the boulevard.
3. Nihal Atakaş Mosque
Nihal Atakaş Mosque is smart and modern but built in a traditional style, and it anchors the western end of the waterfront. It is the landmark that tells you where the seafront walk ends and Cengiz Topel Cd begins.
Visit it as part of the boulevard stroll rather than as a separate trip. Note that the Grand Mosque opposite was destroyed in the earthquake and its site has been cleared, so the immediate surroundings are changed.
4. Kaptan Mehmet Paşa Mosque
Kaptan Mehmet Paşa Mosque was built in 1864 and stands on Şehit Pamir Cd, two blocks inland from the Atatürk statue. It is the oldest of the central religious buildings still in use and a short detour from the waterfront.
Combine it with the Atatürk statue and the Naval Museum, all within a few minutes of each other, and treat it as a stop on a walk inland from the harbour rather than a destination on its own.
5. Surp Karasun Manuk Armenian Church
This Armenian church on 52nd Sk was built in 1871 and survived the earthquake, which makes it one of the more remarkable structures left standing in the centre. It is seldom open, so the exterior is often as much as you will see.
Go with that expectation and do not build a day around it. It is worth seeking out if you are already walking the streets inland from the waterfront and want to see what the city looked like before 2023.
6. Soğukoluk Plateau
Soğukoluk Plateau is where people from İskenderun go to escape the summer heat, up in the pine forests 17 km south of town near Müftüler. The draw is the cooler air and the forest setting rather than any single sight.
This is a summer-afternoon trip, best on a day when the city itself is too hot to walk. It sits south of the city, so it pairs naturally with Arsuz if you have a car and a full day.
7. Payas and the Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Caravanserai
Payas is a town 25 km north of İskenderun whose main sight is the 16th-century Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Caravanserai, where merchant caravans once stopped overnight for protection from banditry and pilfering. The castle facing it is open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00, and the complex also includes an imaret, a soup kitchen, and an ancient bridge.
Allow time for the whole complex rather than just the caravanserai. Check the day before you go, since the castle keeps weekday hours only.
8. Belen
Belen is a town astride the pass through the Amanos Mountains on the road towards Antakya and Syria. Its Ottoman architecture has mostly given way to 20th-century building, so the reason to stop is the position and a meal rather than the townscape.
Treat it as a lunch stop on the way through the pass. It is on the route you take to and from Hatay, so it costs you little to break the journey.
9. Arsuz
Arsuz is a beach resort 35 km south of İskenderun. Nothing remains of the old settlement of Rhossus or Rhopolis, so come for the sea and the coast road rather than for antiquities.
The road continues twisting along the coast to Çevlik, where you can turn inland to Antakya, which makes Arsuz a natural stopping point on a coastal drive south.
10. Issos
Issos, 54 km north near Erzin, is the remains of an ancient aqueduct. It is debatable whether this was the site of the city of Issos or of the battles fought in its vicinity, so the visit is about the landscape and the remains rather than a labelled site.
Go only if you are passing, but note that you do have to come this way to and from Hatay. It is a roadside stop, not a destination.
11. The city beach
The city beach starts 1 km west of Nihal Atakaş Mosque. It is narrow, but you are unlikely to find it crowded with holidaymakers.
Walk west along the waterfront past the mosque and continue until the beach begins. It is the simplest way to spend a warm afternoon without leaving the city.
12. Birdwatching
Bird migration flyways from the Balkans and the Caucasus converge in this area on their way to and from the south, which makes the surroundings of İskenderun worth watching at the right season.
This is an outdoor activity that depends on timing rather than a fixed site, so build it around a morning on the coast or a trip out towards the plateau rather than treating it as a standalone stop.
13. İskenderunspor at 5 Temmuz sports ground
İskenderunspor play soccer in TFF 2. Lig, the third tier, at the 5 Temmuz sports ground on 152nd Sk on the south side of town. A match is an easy way to spend an evening with local crowds.
Check the fixture before you plan around it, since it only works if the team is playing at home during your stay.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start on Atatürk Blv at the harbour and the statue of Atatürk, then walk west to the Iskenderun Naval Museum and go in when it opens at 09:00. Continue along the waterfront to Nihal Atakaş Mosque at the western end, and detour two blocks inland to Kaptan Mehmet Paşa Mosque on Şehit Pamir Cd.
Afternoon: Walk west past Nihal Atakaş Mosque to the city beach, 1 km along, and spend the hottest hours by the water. If the heat is too much, take the trip up to Soğukoluk Plateau in the pine forests south of town instead.
Evening: Return to Atatürk Blv for a sunset stroll, looking out for the Art Deco facade of the Central Bank at the corner of Ulucami Cd. If İskenderunspor are at home, finish at the 5 Temmuz sports ground on 152nd Sk.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cathedral of the Annunciation worth visiting?
The Cathedral of the Annunciation at Mithatpaşa Cd 59 was wrecked in the 2023 earthquake and is unlikely to be rebuilt, so it is not a sight you can plan a visit around.
When is the best time of day to walk the waterfront?
Sunset. Atatürk Blv is described as pleasant enough for sunset strolls, and the heat of the middle of the day makes the morning and evening hours the better ones for being outside.
Do I need a car to see the places outside the city?
Yes for the practical trips. Payas is 25 km north, Soğukoluk Plateau 17 km south, Arsuz 35 km south and Issos 54 km north near Erzin, and Issos in particular is only worth it if you are already passing on the road to or from Hatay.
What is there to do in İskenderun in summer?
Head for the water or the hills. The city beach west of Nihal Atakaş Mosque is the closest option, and Soğukoluk Plateau is where people from İskenderun go to escape the summer heat.
Work out which of these fit your dates, check the weekday hours at Payas and the Naval Museum, and start building your route along the coast.