Show alexander the great in habit of naming cities Alex andretta founded by alexander the great to commemorate his victory over the persians at the battle of issus in B C was the first of 17 cities which he founded and named after himself tor for one reason or another observes a writer in the new york herald tribune it early received its diminutive name to distinguish it from another of his cities alexandria at the mouth of the nile both of which came to have an enor moil commerce with the mediterranean countries to the west and although situated in a marshy plain and notoriously unhealthy it was called by the sailors alexan dretta with the only safe harbor on the coast of syria continued as ar outlet for a large part of the overland trade from persia and india down to the opening of the suez canal the bandjak or district of Alex andretta called hatay by the turks includes some square miles adjacent to turkey and the ancient biblical city of antioch old roman capital of the orient near its southern boundary its population consists of turks armenians Armen ians greeks kurds burds and the district was taken from turkey at the end of the world war and included in the french syrian mandate but due to its mixed population was granted a limited autonomy in 1925 turkey however had hads never relinquished the thou thought agh that tha Alex andretta with its fine harbor and large turkish population was a logical outpost of the republic and consequently when france agreed to syrias ultimate independence the ankara authorities demanded ft alexana Alex andretta iretta be made into a separate state to prevent its being lost to them permanently |