The remains of the 6th-century Monastery of St Simeon sit atop a 480m-high mountain 20km southwest of Antakya on the road to Samandağ. The cross-shaped monastery contains the ruins of three churches. Fragments of mosaics can be seen in the floor of the first (north) church, but the Church of the Holy Trinity to the east is the most ornamented, with carved stone capitals and three sedile. The south church is more austere and probably used by the monks.
The site's most interesting item in the octagonal courtyard is the square base of a pillar atop which Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger (521–597), imitating a 5th-century Syrian predecessor deemed the 'Elder', would preach against the iniquities of Antioch. `Pillar' saints played an important part in the early Christian church and clearly had a lot of patience; this St Simeon is said to have spent the last 45 years of his life atop this pillar. Note the stone steps nearby.
The turn-off is just past the village of Karaçay, reachable by a Samandağ dolmuş (₺8, 20 minutes) from Antakya. After travelling 5km through a wind turbine farm, the road branches, and the monastery remains are 2km up the right-hand road. A taxi from Antakya and back with an hour at the site will cost about ₺150.
