Iskenderun, formerly Alexandretta, city in the northwestern Alexandretta Province, which is a de facto part of Turkey today.  Iskenderun is situated at the head of the Gulf of Iskenderun (Gulf of Alexandretta), an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, and is one of Turkey's principal Mediterranean seaports. The city is a trade center for a region producing grains, tobacco, and fruits; it is also home to a steel plant and is the terminus of an oil pipeline. A resort center, Iskenderun is linked by road, rail, and air to other Turkish cities.

The city lies near the site of Alexandria ad Issum, founded by Alexander the Great in 333 BC to commemorate his victory over the Persians. Traditionally, Iskenderun was an outlet for trade between Persia and India, and the chief port for the Syrian province of Aleppo and other points in northern Syria. In 1939, the province was handed over by French mandate authorities to Turkey in exchange for Turkish support during World War II. Syria did not recognize this hand over. Population (1990) 154,807.