Türkiye / About the city
Introducing Hatay
Hatay is located in southern Türkiye, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, and is one of the country's most distinctive cities with its rich history, cultural diversity, natural assets, and gastronomy. Comprising 15 districts, Hatay covers an area of 5,524 km² and has a population of 1,577,531 according to the 2025 Address Based Population Registration System data published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).
Throughout its thousands of years of history, Hatay has been home to numerous civilizations and stands out for its unique social fabric, where different cultures and faiths have coexisted for centuries. The historic character of Antakya, the coastline of Samandağ, the Gulf of İskenderun, the Amanos Mountains, and the fertile Amik Plain are among the city's major historical, natural, and tourism assets.
Shaped by centuries of interaction among different cultures, Hatay's cuisine is one of the city's strongest cultural values, with hundreds of distinctive dishes and traditional culinary practices. In recognition of this rich gastronomic heritage, Hatay joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Gastronomy in 2017. In 2025, Hatay also became a member of The Food Capitals by Délice Network.
With its historical heritage, multicultural character, natural richness, and strong gastronomic identity, Hatay continues to preserve its local values while promoting itself nationally and internationally as an important centre of culture, tourism, and gastronomy.
/ Climate & gastronomy
Challenges and actions
Hatay faces a number of climate-related challenges, including rising temperatures, prolonged drought, increasing pressure on water resources, and extreme weather events. These impacts directly affect agricultural production, the sustainability of local products, and consequently the city's rich gastronomic heritage.
To mitigate these effects, efforts have been undertaken to improve the efficient use of water resources, support agricultural irrigation, develop sustainable water supply projects, and promote sustainable farming practices among local producers. In the field of gastronomy, particular importance is given to preserving local products, traditional production methods, and biodiversity.
Training and awareness-raising activities have also been carried out on Hatay's edible wild herbs and medicinal and aromatic plants, helping to preserve traditional agricultural knowledge and encourage the use of local products that are more resilient to changing climatic conditions. In addition, initiatives involving aquaponic and hydroponic production systems provide alternative models for sustainable food production and climate adaptation.
These efforts aim to strengthen the resilience of Hatay's local food system while protecting the agricultural and cultural heritage that forms the foundation of its gastronomy.
