The Antalya Region, offering all the mysticism of
past in our day, is now called the "Turkish Riviera" due to its archaeological
and natural beauties. Antalya is the place where sea, sun, history and nature
constitute a perfect harmony and which also includes the most beautiful and
clearest coast along the Mediterranean. The city still preserves its importance
as a centre throughout history in the south coast of the country, in addition to
its wonderful natural beauties. The mythological city which housed the Gods and
Goddesses now exhibits all its secrets and marvels to mankind.
Antalya is located in the west of the
Mediterranean region. In ancient times it covered all Pamphylia which means "the
land of all tribes". The land really deserves the name since it has witnessed
many successive civilizations throughout history. In 1st century BC the Pergamum
king Attalus ordered his men to find the most beautiful piece of land on earth;
he wanted them to find "heaven on earth". After a long search all over the
world, they discovered this land and said "This must be 'Heaven' " and King
Attalus founded the city giving it the name "Attaleia". From then on many
nations kept their eyes on the city. When the Romans took over the Pergamene
Kingdom, Attaleia became an outstanding Roman city which the great Roman Emperor
Hadrian visited in 130 AD; an arch was built in his honour which is now worth
seeing. Then came the Byzantines, after which the Seljuk Turks took over the
city in 1207 and gave it a different name, Adalya, and built the Yivli Minaret.
The Ottomans followed the Seljuks and finally within the Turkish Republic it
became a Turkish city and an important port. Antalya has been growing rapidly
since 1960 and its population is 1,146,109 according to the 1990 census.
The climate of the province is typical
Mediterranean: hot and dry in summers and temperate and rainy in winters.
Sunshine is guaranteed from April to October and the winters are pleasantly
mild. The humidity is a little bit high, about 64%, and the average water
temperature is 21.5 °C. Antalya is really a heavenly place where the summer
season is about 8-9 months long.
Transportation
in Antalya
You may reach Antalya from almost every city of
the country, and even from little towns, coach companies going to Antalya are
available.
Antalya has an international airport which may
connect you to major cities. It has modern facilities including waiting rooms,
restaurants, cafebar, and a shopping centre.
When traveling by sea, one can use the
AntalyaVenice Ferryboat line.
Touristic Attractions
in Antalya
Antalya and its surrounding is an important and
noteworthy touristic centre on the Mediterranean Coast with its perfect climate
and splendid harmony of archaeological, historical and natural beauties,
throughout the year. Daily tours to surrounding touristic areas like Side,
Alanya and Termessos are available, in addition to longer tours to Pamukkale or
Cappadocia or anywhere you would like to go. Proffessional tourist guides are
also available.
Sightseeing in
Antalya
City Walls
The memorial Hadrian Arch and The Clock Tower are remarkable and date back to
Hellenistic era.
Kaleici
This is the nucleus of a city which embraced many civilizations during time. It
is now restored and has became a most attractive touristic centre with its
hotels, restaurants, shopping and entertainment facilities. Kalei,ci retains all
the original ancient Turkish archaeological characteristics. The port's marina
has been completely restored and is wellworth visiting. The restoration
activities in Kaleici won the Golden Apple Prize, the Oscar of tourism.
Antalya Museum
A prize winning museum and one of the most notable archaeology museums, of the
world. It is also the only museum in Turkey with a children's department
exhibiting ancient monuments appealing to children.
Hadrian's Gate
This ornamental marble arch was constructed in 2nd century BC by the Romans in
honour of the Emperor Hadrian. It is the most amazing area in the whole ancient
Pamphylia region.
Kesik Minaret (Broken
Minaret)
Once a Byzantine Panaglia church, later converted into a mosque.
Yivli Minaret
This fluted minaret of 13th century was built by the Seljuks. Decorated with
dark blue and turquouise tiles, the minaret eventually became the symbol of the
city.
Karatay Medresesi,
Hidirilk Tower, Ahi Yusuf Mescidi, Iskele Mosque, Murat Pasa Mosque, Tekeli
Mehmet Pasa Mosque, Balibey Mosque, Musellim Mosque, Seyh Sinan Efendi Mosque
and Osman Efendi Mosque are other places to be visited.
"Han"s are Seljuk or Ottoman inns which have
architectural significance. Some worth visiting are the Evdir Han, Klrkoz Han,
Alara Han and Castle and Sarapsu (Serapsu) Han.
Ancient Cities in
Antalya
Termessos
It is a Pisidyan city with remnants of
an agora, theatre and an odion. It has a reputation of being the most
magnificent necropolis on the Mediterranean, 35 kms northwest of Antalya.
Perge
18 kms northeast of Antalya. The ruins are spread on two hills, the theatre on
one and the acropolis on the other. According to the legend the city was built
by three heros from Troy.
Sillyon
34 kms from Antalya on the Alanya direction. It is situated between Aspendos and
Perge and dates back to 4th.century BC.
Aspendos
One of the most important Pamphilian cities. It is situated on the point where
the Kopru River meets the sea. Once an important port and a commercal centre, it
has a reputation for raising the best horses on earth. The odeon, basilica,
galleria and fountains are worth seeing.
Timeline of Pamphylia - Antalya
A fertile coastal region in southern
Anatolia, nestled between Cilicia in the east and Lycia in the west., with the
Taurus Mountains and Pisidia as a backdrop in the north.
To the Luvians.................................
< 1900-c. 1700
To the Hittites................................c.
1700-1215 BCE
Kurunta (son of Hittite king Muwatallis)...............mid 1200's
Occupation by Aeolian and Achaean Greeks.......c.
1200-c. 600
Most significant settlement in this era was the port
of Side (now
the village of Selimiye), a colony established by Aeolians, but largely
speaking a local non-Hellenic language.
To Lydia........................................c.
600-546
To Persia..........................................546-333
To
Macedon.........................................333-305
Nearkhos the Admiral (also in Lycia)..........333-329 d.
c. 300
To the Kingdom of Antigonus........................305-301
To
Egypt...........................................295-272
To Pergamon........................................188-133
To Roman Republic
(often assigned to Galatia)......133-27
Note that between c. 100 BCE and c. 100 CE this region
was notoriously infested with Cilician and Pisidian pirate lairs - the city of
Side (by now thoroughly Hellenized) had a very large slave market connected to
the raiders.
To Roman Empire.................................27 BCE-395
CE
To the Byzantine Empire............................395-1071
To The Seljuqs....................................1071-1097
To the Byzantine Empire...........................1097-1176
To the Rum Seljuqs................................1176-1245
To the Mongol Ilkhans.............................1245-c. 1300
TEKKE (Antalya) A Ghazi state in the western end of this
province.
HAMID
Hamid Beg Ilyas....................................fl. c. 1300
Yunus Beg
Khidr..............................................fl. c. 1330
