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Antioch Syria was the ancient capital and one of the earliest cities located on the eastern shores of River Orontes. Founded towards the end of 4th century B.C. by Seleucus I Nicator, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, Antioch Syria was meant for entering into rivalry with the city of Alexandria in the east and becoming the birthplace of pagan Christianity in Syria. Antioch Syria was also prominent among the four cities forming the Syrian tetrapolis.
The topographical characters of Antioch Syria to the north and northeastern districts make the country an ideal natural region for running empires. The oasis of Damascus as an integral part of regional geography adds considerably to the natural beauty of Antioch.
The plain land adjacent to Lake Antioch witnessed the convergence of the twin, easy Mediterranean routes, passing through the Beilan Pass and Orontes gorge.
In the Hellenic Age, Antioch Syria saw the construction of a number of cities like Antiochus I, enclosed by a wall of its own and having ample similarities with that of ancient Greece. This was followed shortly by the construction of another walled city towards the north in Orontes. During this period, the total population of Antioch Syria crossed 500,000, to become the third largest city in the world after Rome and Alexandria.
Passing through a number of epochs like the ancient Christian-Byzantine period, age of the Romans, Arab era and the period of the Crusader, Antioch Syria gradually faded away with time and re-emerged as the modern city of Antakya in Turkey.
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