Antioch.
Where the disciples were first called Christians.
Third largest city of the Roman Empire. Cradle of the Gentile mission. The see to which more patriarchal churches today trace their succession than to any other — yet little known outside ecclesiastical circles. This site gathers the history, confessions and communities of the Antiochian tradition in one place.
- 3rdlargest city
of the Roman Empire in the 1st century — after Rome and Alexandria, with an estimated 250,000–500,000 inhabitants.
- Acts 11:26birth of a name
It was here that the disciples of Jesus were first called „Christianoí" — Christians. Antioch gave a world religion its name.
- 5patriarchates
today trace their succession to Antioch — more than to any other episcopal see in the world.
- 6 Feb 2023a fault line
The earthquake destroyed large parts of Antakya and several churches whose lineage reaches back to ancient Christianity.
From Seleucus to Antakya
Few cities of antiquity shaped Christianity as deeply as Antioch on the Orontes. Here a new religious name was born; here apostles disputed over the dietary laws; here a distinct school of theology emerged. And here, from a single episcopal see, grew the largest confessional branching of Eastern Christianity.
Founded around 300 BC by Seleucus I Nicator, Antioch became the capital of the Roman province of Syria in 64 BC and rose to be one of the three largest cities of the Empire alongside Rome and Alexandria. The Council of Chalcedon (451) split the patriarchate into Chalcedonian and miaphysite lines; the Arab conquest of 637, the Crusader principality (1098–1268), and recurrent earthquakes — most recently in February 2023 — all left deep marks.
The full historical chapters with timeline are available on the German homepage. English translation in progress.
One see, five traditions
From the one Antiochian episcopal see, five autonomous patriarchal churches have emerged over the centuries — divided by two great fault lines: the Council of Chalcedon (451), separating the Chalcedonian (today Greek Orthodox) from the miaphysite (today Syriac Orthodox) line; and the unions with Rome — the Maronite Church always in communion, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church emerging in 1724 from the Greek Orthodox patriarchate, the Syriac Catholic Church in 1781 from the Syriac Orthodox.
Detailed cards for each patriarchate (seat, primate, language, background) are on the German homepage.
Frequently asked
+ Where is Antioch today?
Ancient Antioch on the Orontes lies in today's Antakya, Hatay Province, in southern Turkey near the Syrian border. The city was heavily damaged in the earthquake of 6 February 2023.
+ Why is Antioch so important for Christianity?
In Antioch the disciples of Jesus were first called „Christians" (Acts 11:26). The city was one of the five original patriarchates of the early Church — alongside Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria and Jerusalem — and a centre of early Christian theology.
+ How many Antiochian patriarchates exist today?
Five patriarchal churches trace their seat back to Antioch: the Greek Orthodox and the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchates (both in Damascus), the Maronite Patriarchate (Bkerké, Lebanon), the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate (Damascus) and the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate (Beirut).
+ How do the confessions differ?
The divisions go back to the Council of Chalcedon (451) and later unions with Rome (1724 Melkite, 1781 Syriac Catholic). They differ in Christology, liturgical language and canonical ties — yet all trace themselves to the same ancient see.
+ Where does the Antiochian diaspora live?
Large communities exist in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. They were often formed during the 19th and 20th centuries from the Ottoman and later Syro-Lebanese regions.