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Cumhuriyet Square. When Hatay got its independence in 1938 it was turned over to the Hatay Assembly. Then when Hatay joined the Turkish government in 1939 it was turned again into a cinema hall. The main Square is called Cumhuriyet Square. Özsüt Meclis Kültür ve Sanat Merkezi (Özsüt Council culture and art center). It was built mainly as a cinema center by french architect Leon Benju in 1927.

Cumhuriyet Square. Hatay got its dependence from the French in 1938.

The Antakya Synagogue was built in the 17th century and is located in Turkey near the border with Syria. It serves a tiny community of about 60 Jews. The synagogue contains an unusual large, half-circular Torah Ark. The Ark contains a round Sifrei Torah in the traditional Sephardi style. Each case was covered with a richly-colored velvet and adorned with intricately detailed silver plaques each with their own inscription. A Rabbi comes from Istanbul every Friday to conduct services Yakuo Cemal (Standing in front of the Holy curtain hiding the Torah Ark) is one of the leaders of the Jewish community of Antakya , and is half blind. he lost his vision while as a soldier in the Turkish Military fighting The PKK (Parti Karkerani Kurdistan - the Kurdistan Workers Parti).

The Saint Pierre Church, Antakya, Turkey from 4th or 5th century is composed of a cave carved into the mountainside on Mount Starius with a depth of 13 m, a width of 9.5 m and a height of 7 m. This cave, which was used by early Christians in the Antakya region, is one of Christianity's oldest churches. Sevgi (means love in Turkish) is an Alawi Muslim, traditionally Alawis have lived in the Alawite Mountains along the Mediterranean coast of Syria. Latakia and Tartous are the region's principal cities. Today Alawis are also concentrated in the plains around Hama and Homs. Alawis also live in all major cities of Syria. They have been estimated to constitute about 15% of Syria's population (which would be in 2011 about 5.5 million people of about 23.1 million people in Syria). They also have been estimated to constitute about 750,000 of Turkey's population( of Arab origin) and about 20 million Turkish Alawis or Alevis and 100,000 of Lebanon's population. A very similar sect is Alevis (Turkish Alawis). Alevis are somewhat similar to Alawis regarding religious thoughts, and the way they look to women as they both give the woman her freedom to wear modern clothes with no restrictions. They are so similar that the name "Alawi" in Syria is pronounced "Alevi" in Turkey. Many historians consider them as one sect. Before 1953 they held reserved seats in the Syrian Parliament, like all other religious communities. After that, from the 1960 census, there were only general Muslim and Christian.

Ata Koleji (Ata college) was a tourist hotel. It was ruined due to a fire. Latter rebuilt and founded by Samet Kusçu in 1962.

Yogunoluk, was once an Armenian village, one of the seven that were purged in 1915 by the Turks. The Armenians returned in 1918 and left again in 1939 when the French gave the Region of Hatay back to Turkey. The Armenian church, believed to have been built between 1633 and 1646, is the only evidence that Armenians lived here. The mosque was built in 1940 and the Armenian church with a mosque on top in Yogunoluk is a symbol of Hatay today. The building is now under the authority of the General Directorate of Foundations. The historical building has never been renovated but, the regional Directorate of Foundations plans to carry out work on the structure. A concrete minaret was built on the stonework church after Armenians left the village in the 1940s. The mosque is open to services. The church, which is frequently visited by domestic and foreign Armenian tourists is closed. The tourists are stunned to see a mosque on top of a church but, the church has been neglected for so long it needs urgent restoration.

Vakif Village, Antakya, Turkey. Some 25 kilometers from Antakya, on the southern slopes of Musa Ler, stands Vakif, the last remaining Armenian village in all Turkey. Ironically, the name in Turkish means “collaboration". The Mediterranean Sea is in the background and the Syrian border isn’t far away. There, you find another historic oddity of sorts, the Armenian village of Kessab, another remnant of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia that has survived till today. Vakif is the only one of the seven villages of Musa Ler that has survived. We all know the story – the historic resistance of 1915, the French boats taking Armenian villagers to points south (Port Said, later Beirut), the return of many after Hatay (Alexandretta) was declared a French mandate in 1918, and then, the final blow in 1938 when Turkey annexed the district from Syria with French complicity. After this, the other six Armenian villages immigrated out of Hatay settling in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, especially Anjar, the residents of Vakif chose to stay. They were joined by some Armenian residents of the other villages. Today, there are 135 Armenians living in Vakif; 35 households. A majority are senior citizens. The young people leave to Istanbul to study. Most do not return. In fact many residents spend the winter in Istanbul as well, returning to the village in the Summer months. There are 25 children in the village. There is no regular school in Vakif. The children travel to a Turkish school in a neighboring village. The St. Astvatzatzin Armenian Apostolic Church stands at the entrance of the village, it was built in 1890. Renovated in 1997, the church now has a permanent pastor, his name is Avedis Tabasy he is 31 years old and is married with no children, he is the first priest appointed to this village for over eleven years.

Vakif Village, Antakya, Turkey. The village death rate outstrip the birth rate many times. There hasn’t been a birth here in two years. The young people don’t marry in the village. They go to Istanbul and don’t return. The oldest Vakif resident is 97 year-old Avetis Demirji, a village native and former Black Smith. He is reading “Agos“ and Armenian Newspaper. He speaks perfect Armenian and is proud of the fact. "Grandpa" Avetis warmly greeted us as we approached him lying on the couch. He can’t walk on his own and spends much of the day outside on the porch. He doesn’t have any memories of 1915, being just one year old at the time. What he can remember, was when told to him by his parents and relatives. Like many others, his family wound up in Egypt and returned to Vakif in 1918.

A young man wearing a sword around his neck as a decoration. He is from Arslantepe, Turkey, (The oldest sword-like weapons are found at Arslantepe, Turkey, and date to around 3300 BC.)

The Orontes is a river flowing through Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. It was anciently the chief river of the Levant, also called Draco, Typhon and Axius. The last was a native form, from whose revival, or continuous employment in native speech, has preceded the modern name "rebel", because the river flows from the south to the north unlike the rest of the rivers in the region. The Orontes rises in the great springs of Labweh on the east side of the Beqaa Valley, very near to the fountains of the southward-flowing Litani, and it runs due north, parallel with the coast, falling 2000 feet (600 m) through a rocky gorge.

The Orontes rises on the great springs of Labweh on the east side of the Beqaa Valley, very near from the fountains of the southward-flowing Litani, and it runs north, parallel with the coast, falling 2000 feet (600 m) through a rocky gorge. Leaving this it expands into the Lake of Homs, having been dammed back in antiquity. The valley now widens out into the rich district of Hamah (Hamaih-Epiphaneia), below which, lie the broad meadow-lands of Amykes, containing the sites of ancient Apamea and Larissa. This central Orontes valley ends at the rocky barrier of Jisr al-Hadid, where the river is diverted to the west, and the plain of Antioch opens. Two large tributaries from the north, the Afrin and Karasu, here reach it through the former Lake of Antioch, which is now drained through an artificial channel (Nahr al-Kowsit). Passing north of the modern Antakya (ancient Antioch) the Orontes plunges southwest into a gorge (compared by the ancients to Tempe), and falls 150 feet (50 m) in 10 miles (16 km)

This central Orontes valley ends at the rocky barrier of Jisr al-Hadid, where the river is diverted to the west, and the plain of Antioch opens.

School for Syrian refugees who cross over from the border camp.

Mohammed Aboual Abad, refugee and activist, 31 years old who escaped his home in Jiser Al–Choughour Syria: “Jiser Al–Choughour is practally empty, the people left because we could not sit there and be slaughtered like lambs" said Mohammad. He now lives with his wife and daughter in Gorentas Turkey to protect them from the on going violence in Syria. His daughter’s name is Khadija (nick named “GIGI “) she is two years old.

Guvecci, border village with a history of smuggling between Turkey and Syria, now a haven for refugees for Syrian refugees. This village is under the control of a band of smugglers. They smuggle everything from cigarettes, to cattle and drugs. They now, also Smuggle journalists into Syria.

Young smugglers hanging around a house off the road with recent arrivals from Syria.

In the house of “Erdogan“ a former spy and soldier for the Syrian military who spied on the citizens in Syria and later refugees of Syria in Turkey for the Syrian security forces. He deserted when wounded in a demonstration while posing as a member of the opposition, he was shot in the leg, he crossed over and now is involved with the smugglers in Guvecci.

In the home of Mohammed Aboual Abad, sits Darwish Ahmed (smoking a cigarette , holding his military I.D. ) a 23yrs old former soldier from Jiser Al–Choughour. He is now a deserter, he quit the Syrian Military because he could no longer stomach the violence against his own people, he was specially trained in Jiser Al-Choughour for fifteen days in May of 2011 to put down riots. After his training he was sent to Homs to stop the uprisings against the government, he was told to kill the demonstrators, they were enemies of the state. He could not, in his conscious accept the violence, so he ran away from his unit and escaped to Turkey.

Gorentas Village. Syrian “Brothers“ do play out cloak and dagger scenarios. They take everything very seriously and are very distrustful of strangers, especially Turks.

Turkey, Guvecci, 25 July 2011. Border village with a history of smuggling between Turkey and Syria, now a haven for refugees from Syria. This village is under the control of a band of smugglers, they smuggle everything from cigarettes, to Cattle and drugs, they now Smuggle journalists into Syria.

July 25th 2011, Guvecci, Turkey. A former spy and soldier for the Syrian military who spied on the citizens in Syria and later refugees in Turkey. He deserted when wounded in a demonstration while posing as a member of the opposition, he was shot in the leg. He crossed over and now is involved with the smugglers in Guvecci - he covers his face with his Military I.D.

Turkey, Jisr Shughur, Syrian border village. Young smugglers hanging around a house. Off the road with recent arrivals from Syria. “My name is problem“ can be read on a young man's t-shirt. He is from Syria, he is a smuggler but also and refugee living in the Village of Guvecci amongest others in the same condition, they all feel the only solution to Syria’s uprising is a civil war just like in Libya but, with-out foreign intervention.

Turquie, Antakya (Antioche), 26 juillet 2011. Nazer 22 yrs old Blogger works out of a secret house in Antakya, Turkey, the house is payed for by a rich Syrian living in Germany. The house is full of Syrian young men, who are waging a media war with Syrian authorities, as Nazer says "this is War". He is very paranoid with good reason, the Turkish government is not pleased that their city of Antakya, is being used by the Syrian opposition, and the rumours that Syrians picked up by Turkish Authorites are turned over to the Syrian security forces, where afterwards they disappear . Nazer and his Syrian brothers do play out cloake and dagger scenarios, they take everything very seriously and are very distrustful of strangers, especially Turks. He and his small band work with computers 24/7 sending out information they gather of the violence and killings of Syrians in Syria, including updates on events in the camps in Turkey. They're mission is to send all their images across the globe, trying to get the attention of the World to the plight of the Syrian people and the atrocities being committed against them. They gather data, pictures, clips from all sources: cell phones, digital cameras and video. Nazer gets witness accounts in hospitals, the camps and people sending accounts of what is going on inside Syria. Sometimes they assist journals in getting into Syria, but of late it has been too dangerous to do this. Nazer says he only sleeps three hours a day, the Syrian revolution is being fought by social media and citizen journalism I am fighting the War in Syria with my computer.

Smugglers with cell phone images of two men who were tortured and killed on the border by Syrian security forces . The men killed were Ismail Bakir and Abdel Kadir, they were murdered trying to cross over the Border to Turkey by Syrian soldiers. Their bodies were dumped on the border just out side the refugee camp which sits on the border between Syria and Turkey . The brother of Ismail Bakir and son of and Abdel Kadir crossed over the border illegally to bury their relatives . The bodies before burial were filmed on cell phones , and then transmitted around the World (the image on the cell phone is Ismail Bakir).

Syrian troops have pushed to the Turkish border in their sweep against a three month old pro-democracy movement, sending panicked refugees, including children, rushing across the frontier to safe havens in Turkey. Outside on the street are some smugglers with cell phone images of two men who were tortured and killed on the border by Syrian security forces. The men Killed were Ismail Bakir and Abdel Kadir who were from Jiser Al–Choughour they were murdered while trying to cross over the Border to Turkey by Syrian soldiers. Their bodies were dumped on the border just outside the refugee camp which sits on the border between Syria and Turkey. The brother of Ismail Bakir and son of and Abdel Kadir crossed over the border illegally to bury their relatives. The bodies before burial were filmed on cell phones , and then transmitted around the World (the image on the cell phone is Ismail Bakir). His brothers name is Ibrahim he has been staying in the main house of the smugglers in the village of Guvecci he has just returned from burying his brother and cannot stop crying. He is very upset and says he is ready to die for freedom and calls for a civil war in Syria.

The State Hospital, Antakaya, Turkey, July 23 2011. In room 214 is Ali, a floor maker from Maar al Nana, he has been shot two times by a soldier with a pump rifle, using Òdum-dum bullets (He would not give his full name or be photographed facing the camera , because his family is still Syria, and fears for their safety if he is seen speaking with Journalists). Òdum-dum bullets are expanding bullets that have a pit or hollowed out shape in its tip, generally intended to cause the bullet to expand upon entering a target In essence, the hollow point bullet has two interrelated purposes: to increase its size once within the target, thus maximizing tissue damage and blood loss or shock. He lost his right arm. He was shot in his village after Friday prayers, the people emerged from the Mosque protesting, demanding regime change, the army and policed fired on them indiscriminately, even on those who were just trying to go home, as Ali was trying to do.

July 26th ,2011 Guvecci. Refugee Camp on the Syrian Border (Reyhanli). The camp is under the control of the Turkish military, they control all movement in and out of the camp, it resembles a concentration camp, a prison centered in scorching desert conditions. One thousand eight hundred people live here. Standing on a wall inside the camp are members of the media committee who work inside the camp. Left to right are Tarek Cham in white jeans and black shirt, the man in the middle is named Mahmoud Mosa, last man is Alaa Akta.

July 26, 2011, Refugee Camp on the Syrian Border (Reyhanli) which is under the control of The Turkish military they control all movement in and out of the camp, the camp resembles a concentration camp, a prison centered in scorching desert conditions, one thousand eight hundred people live here.