The Hatay State National Assembly Building was a historical building in Turkey designed by the French architect

Leon Benju Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

and used by the National Assembly of the State of Hatay in its early years. Located in Cumhuriyet Square in the center of

Antakya Antakya (), Turkish form of Antioch, is a municipality and the capital Districts of Turkey, district of Hatay Province, Turkey. Its area is . Prior to the devastating 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, 2023 earthquakes, its population was recorded ...

, the building was destroyed during the

2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

History

Designed by French architect Leon Benju and opened in 1927, the building was originally designed as a movie theater. In 1933, sound films started to be shown in the theater, including the first sound film of Turkish cinema, "Istanbul Sokakları'nda" (On the Streets of Istanbul). The building, which served as the "Empire Cinema" for about ten years, was converted into a parliament building after the establishment of the State of Hatay. On June 29, 1939, in line with a decision taken in said parliament, the building was converted into a cinema again when Hatay's accession to Turkey was being considered; it remained a cinema until the 1980s. The building, which was privately-owned, was purchased by the Hatay Governorship in 2019 and converted into a cultural center. The building was largely destroyed in the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.

References

{{coord, display=title Buildings and structures in Hatay Province Buildings and structures destroyed by the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake Government buildings in Turkey Buildings and structures completed in 1927 Buildings and structures demolished in 2023 Former seats of local government