Amik Valley
The Amik Valley is a plain in Hatay Province, southern Turkey. It is close to the city of Antakya. Along with Dabiq in northwestern Syria, it is believed to be one of two possible sites of the battle of Armageddon according to Islamic eschatology.
Archaeological significance
It is notable for a series of archaeological sites in the "plain of Antioch". The primary sites of the series are Tell al-Judaidah, Chatal Höyük , Tell Tayinat, Tell Kurdu, Alalakh, and Tell Dhahab. Al-Mina, at the mouth of the Orontes river, was the main ancient port of the area.Lake Amik was an ancient lake in the area, that was located in the centre of Amik Plain.
Tell Judaidah was surveyed by Robert Braidwood and excavated by C. MacEwan of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in the 1930s.
There is also archaeological evidence for Caspian tigers in this valley.
Islamic eschatology
In a hadith, Abu Hurayrah reported that Muhammad said:Islamic scholars and hadith commentators suggest that the word "Romans" refers to Christians. The hadith further relates the subsequent Muslim victory, followed by the peaceful takeover of Constantinople with invocations of takbir and tasbih, and finally the defeat of the Anti-Christ following the return and descent of Jesus Christ. Other hadiths relate the appearance of Imam Mahdi immediately before the Second Coming of Jesus.