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GENERAL
INFORMATION
Antalya,
located in an area called Pamphylia, was
founded by Attalus II, King of Pergamum,
as a port city in the 2C BC. The name of
the city, Antalya is derived from its
founder’s name.
Antalya had been a small city until very
recently. Tourism has made Antalya one of
the largest beautiful spots. Parallel to
increasing tourism in the city, the
population grows very fast these days.
Kaleici, which means "inner castle" in
Turkish, has tourism to thank for its
survival. Careful conversion of old houses
into dwellings or pensions has
subsequently maintained the original
appearance of these fine buildings. Modern
houses are not permitted. The walls of
Antalya were built in the Hellenistic
period but later restored and enlarged in
the Roman and Byzantine periods. The
impressive Roman structure of Hadrian’s
Gate was built by citizens of Antalya to
commemorate the visit of the Emperor
Hadrian in 130 AD. Located in Ataturk
Street, it was made of marble and
originally had two stories. It has three
arched entranceways separated by piers
with Corinthian columns in front of each.
The gate is flanked by two 2C BC towers.
After entering through Hadrian’s Gate, a
little further away in the old town center
is the ruin of a mosque, Kesik Minare (Truncated
Minaret). This building was originally a
Roman temple which in the 5C AD was
converted into a Byzantine church and
finally in the 13C made into a mosque. The
Hidirlik Kulesi, a 2C AD round tower, is
thought to have been the burial place of a
local dignitary. The Yivli Minare (The
Fluted Minaret) which became the symbol of
Antalya, is part of a 13C Seljuk period
medrese and mosque complex.
Except for these few places in the center
of the city and the Archeological Museum
on the western edge of town, there is not
much to see in the city. It must be noted
that the Archeological Museum is one of
the top five in the country, and not to be
missed.
Set in a scenery of sharp contrasts,
Turkey's principal holiday resort centre
of Antalya is an attractive city with
shady palm lined boulevards and a prize-winning
marina. In the picturesque old quarter of
Kaleici, narrow, winding streets and old
wooden houses abut the ancient city walls.
Since its founding in the second century
B.C., Antalya has been continuously
inhabited. The Romans, Byzantines and
Seljuks successively occupied the city
before it came under Ottoman rule. At
Antalya, the pine clad Toros (Taurus)
Mountains sweep down to the sparkling
clear sea forming an irregular coastline
of rocky headlands and secluded covers.
The region, bathed in sunshine 300 days of
the year, is a paradise of sun-bathing,
swimming and sports activities like
windsurfing, water skiing, sailing,
mountain climbing and hunting. If you come
to Antalya in March or April, in the
mornings you can ski the slopes and in the
afternoons swim in the warm waters of the
Mediterranean. Important historical sites
await your discovery amid a landscape of
pine forests, olive and citrus groves, and
palm, avocado and banana plantations. The
Turquoise Coast is the tourism capital of
Turkey. Its full range of accommodations,
sunny climate, variety of excursions and
activities, and its warm hospitality make
it a sought-after venue for meetings and
conferences. A Culture, Exhibition and
Congress Centre was opened in 1996 in the
Konyaalti Quarter. The Congress hall
itself is in a glass pyramid.
DISTRICTS
Akseki
After Alanya, Akseki is the oldest
district in the province of Antalya, and
has an appearance that befits its location
in the rugged Taurus mountains, in a
forested and very rocky area. The history
of Akseki extends back to the Roman era,
when it was known as Marla (Marulya), and
has been continually inhabited until the
present day. The developments in the
tourism sector in the Antalya region in
recent years have been seen in Akseki as
well. The area is well known for the
snowdrop flower, and every years sees
local and foreign visitors coming every
winter to see these flowers breaking
through the snow, as the first sign of
spring.
In the Giden Gelmez Mountains, goats are
protected and limited hunting is available
year-round with the purchase of a license.
Another spot frequented by visitors is the
trout farming facilities in the villages
of Sinan hoca and Gumusdamla. The primary
game in the area is mountain goat, rabbit,
bear and fox.
Other areas worth visiting are the Goktepe
Highland, Giden Gelmez Mountains, Cimi
Highland, Irmak Valley and the 340-metre
deep Bucaklan Cave, which has only
recently been discovered. Buildings of
interest are the Ulu Camii and medreses.
Elmali
The exact founding date of Elmali, which
is located within the borders of ancient
Lycia, is unknown. Excavations to the east
at Karatas near the village of Semahoyuk,
and to the west in the village of Beyler
indicate that the area has been inhabited
seen the Bronze Age.
Throughout history it has suffered the
rising and falling fortune of the Lycian
region, being ruled respectively by the
Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk
and Ottoman empires.
Tumuluses There are several tumuluses in
nearby villages. The first is west of the
city in the village of Mugren, on top of
which sits a small fortress dating back to
the Roman era. Surface-level
archaeological research indicates that the
area was inhabited in the Bronze Age by
various civilisations. Another village to
the west, Semahoyuk, has a tumulus but due
to the fact that an Ottoman cemetery is
located on top of it, no research has been
done. The third and largest tumulus is in
Beyler, south of the city on the Elmali -
Kas road. Excavations conducted here show
that the area has been continuously
inhabited from the Bronze Age right up to
the present time. The items unearthed in
the excavations are exhibited in the
Antalya Museum.
East of the city 6 km from the village of
Elmali near the village of Bayindir, there
are several tumuluses side by side.
Artifacts dating back to the 7th century
BC were unearthed during the excavations.
Now on display in a special section of the
Antalya Museum, these findings represent a
cross-section of life during that era. A
statuette of pure silver and two of ivory
bear witness to the fact that the art of
sculpture in ancient Anatolia had reached
a level of some sophistication.
Memorial Tombs There are tombs in
Karaburun and Kizilbel. The walls of the
King's Tomb in Karaburun, on the Antalya -
Elmali road, is decorated with frescoes of
scenes of hunting and war. The tomb in
Kizilbel is west of the city on the Elmali
- Yuvayol road, and is a single room made
of limestone blocks.
Define Described as the Treasure of the
Century, this was discovered in 1984, just
north of the Antalya - Elmali road between
the King's Tomb and the village of
Gokpinar. Consisting of 190 pieces of
ancient silver coins, the treasure was
smuggled to America by antique treasure
thieves. It is still on display in the
Boston Museum of Fine Arts as part of a
private collection. The Athens Decadrachme,
14 pieces each worth US$600,000, is said
to be the world's most valuable treasure
find.
Mosques The most interesting mosques in
the area include Selcuklu Camii, Kutuk
Camii, Sinan-i Ummi Camii, Omer Pasa Camii
and medrese.
Korkuteli
Located 67 km from Antalya, Korkuteli is
surrounded by Antalya on the east, Burdur
to the north, Mugla to the southwest and
Elmali and Kumluca to the south. The
effects of the Mediterranean climate can
be felt here in this region of lakes but
the further one goes inland, the more
continental the climate becomes with cold
winters and hot summers.
3 km west of Korkuteli is the Alaaddin
Mosque, only the door of which is still
standing. In the same area is the Seljuk
religious school which bears the name of
its founde,r and was built by El Emin
Sinaeddin of the Hamidogullari dynasty in
1319.
Gundogmus
There are numerous ruins of ancient
cities in the district of Gundogmus, 182
km from Antalya. The important ruins are
those of Hagiasophia city, 7 km north of
Guzel Bag Bucagi, but no excavations have
been conducted here. There are also the
ruins of Asar at Sumene (7 km from the
city centre), Kese (2 km east of the
village of Senir) and Gedfi (11 km
southwest of Gundogmus).
Other places to visit in the area include
the Cem Pasa Camii; the ruins on top of
Sinek Mountain, 15 km east of the city
centre between Gundogmus and Pembelik; and
the ruins of Kazayir at Tasagir, on the
Gundogmus - Antalya highway.
Gazipasa
Situated 180
km from Antalya, Gazipasa is a charming
little town with a beach 10 km long,
beautiful forests and turquoise blue coves.
Iskele, the site of the Koru and Kahyalar
beaches, is an important breeding ground
of the caretta caretta turtles. Mostly
undeveloped up until the present time,
Gazipasa is on its way to being an
attractive tourist centre with
accommodation, recreation facilities, an
airport and yacht harbour still under
construction, as well as the natural and
historical treasures of the area.
Antiocheia Ad Cragum 18 km east of
Gazipasa, and within the village of Guney,
these ruins gets its name from the
Commagene King Antiochus IV, and are found
on the three hills that stretch out
towards the sea. It has the ruins of a
castle dating back to the Roman and
Byzantine era, a column-lined boulevard,
agora, baths, victory arch, a church and
the city necropolis. The barrel-vaulted
memorial tombs with their pre-entrance
porticoes are well preserved and reflect a
style peculiar to the region.
Adanda (Lamos) This ancient city is
located 15 km northeast of Gazipasa, and
was founded 2 km north of the present-day
village of Adanda, on top of a high and
steep hill. It is a walled city with a
large tower south of the city gate, and
among the ruins are a fountain carved into
the living rock and two temples. Other
significant ruins are the tombs in the
necropolis made of single pieces of carved
stone. These remains are a good
representation of the culture and art of
the mountainous Cilician region.
Nephelis This ancient ruin can be reached
by going through the village of Muzkent 12
km out on the Gazipasa-Anamur road and
taking the gravel road south for about 5
km. The southern area is surrounded by the
sea and steep cliffs. The city consists of
the acropolis and the remains of dwellings
spread out in an east-west fashion. The
only standing structures date back to the
Roman and Byzantine periods and include a
Medieval Castle, a temple, a musical hall,
irrigation system and the necropolis.
Selinus Located on the slopes southwest of
Hacimusa Creek by Gazipasa Beach, the
ancient city of Selinus is one of the most
important cities in the mountainous
Cilician region. On top of the hill is the
acropolis as well as the walls and towers
of a medieval castle, which are fairly
well preserved. In the Acropolis, a church
and cistern have survived the ravages of
time. The other buildings of Selinus are
near the beach and on the slopes, among
which are the baths, agora, Islami Yapi (mansion),
aqueducts and the necropolis. Most of the
bones in the Alanya Museum were brought
from the Necropolis and allow the workshop
in the museum to exist.
Kumluca
Situated on the plane formed by the
silt carried down from the mountains by
Alakir Creek and Gavur Brook, Kumluca is
surrounded by the towns of Finike and
Elmali. In the upper reaches of Alakir
Creek fed by the springs coming from
Onemli Mountains and the Beydaglar
Mountains, there are trout and striped
mullet.
WHERE TO VISIT
Antalya
Museum : Founded in 1922 by
Suleyman Fikri Erten and housed first in
the Alaaddin Mosque in the old city and
then in the Yivli Minaret, the museum was
later moved to its current location 2 km
further east. The museum consists of 12
exhibition rooms and its gardens and open
galleries. In these halls the history of
Antalya is given in chronological order,
starting with fossils, through the Stone
and Bronze ages, then through the
classical and Hellenistic periods. There
are mosaics, the Gallery of the Gods,
Phrygian ornaments, and a room with
Christian art that includes pieces of the
skull and jawbone of St Nicholas, the
original Santa Claus. The ethnography
section has a collection of Iznik ceramics,
household implements and weapons.
Museum Tel:(+90-242) 238 56 88-89
Kaleici :
Today the historical old city of
Antalya known as Kaleici (the inner castle)
is surrounded by two walls, most of which
have fallen down. The inner wall encloses
the harbour in a semicircle. As a result
of restoration, Kaleici has turned into a
major tourist centre with guest-houses,
bars, shops and restaurants, and the Roman
harbour has been turned into a modern,
well-equipped marina. As a result of the
restoration work, the Ministry of Tourism
was awarded the Golden Apple (Tourism
Oscar) in April 1984 by FIJET.
The City
Walls : What remains today are
a few bastions inside the city as well as
Hadrian's Gate and its towers, the large
tower facing the harbour and a few pieces
of the harbour walls. One of the walls
surrounds the yacht harbour and the other
the city, almost like horseshoe. One of
the remaining towers in the Castle Gate
Square is now used as a clock tower. There
are four gates in the city walls, which
form entrances to the city.
Hadrian's
Gate : The only city gate to
have survived until the present day is the
most attractive of the Pamphylia:
Uckapilar (Three Gates), also known as
Hadrian's Gate, which is guarded by one
tower on either side. Built to honour the
emperor Hadrian's visit to the city in 130
AD, the whole gate, except for the columns,
is made of pure white marble. The reliefs
and carvings are extraordinary.
Old
Houses of Antalya : With its
hot summers and mild winters, the houses
in Antalya are designed to provide
protection not against the chill of winter
but against the merciless heat of summer.
The stone overhangs and courtyards help
provide air circulation. The houses in
Antalya can be divided into three types
based upon the design of the main hall,
which also serves as a storage area. The
three types are I halls, L halls and U
halls. In the design of these houses,
great attention was paid to meeting the
necessities of daily life, while also
providing harmony with nature and the
environment.
Perge :
Situated 18 km east of Antalya, Perge is
in the city limits of Aksu Bucagi. Because
of its location on the Cilicia - Pisidia
road, it was a vital part of the province
of Pamphylia, and was founded around the
same time as the other cities in the area
(7th century BC). It was an important city
for Christians of Perge who had worshipped
the mother goddess Artemis. St. Paul and
Barnabas visited the city and wealthy
benefactors like Magna Plancia had a
number of important memorials built here.
The first excavations began in 1946 by
Istanbul University and they resulted in
many important discoveries: The theatre
consists of three main sections: the
seating, orchestra and stage. It held
12,000 spectators, with 19 rows of seats
on the lower section, 23 on the top
section, and a 52-metre stage.
The stadium measures 34 square Meters,
with 13 rows of seats on top of the vaults.
The eastern and western sides have 30
vaults each and the northern side has 10.
For every three vaults there is an
entrance to the stadium, and the other two
were used as shops.
The Agora was the commercial and political
centre of the city, with shops surrounding
the central courtyard, some of which have
mosaics on the floor. The agora measured
76 square Meters, with a circular
structure in the centre with a diameter of
13.40 Meters.
The colonnaded boulevard lies between the
Hellenistic Gate and the nympheum on the
slopes of the acropolis. On both sides of
the street, 20 Meters in width, are
porticoes, some up to five meters high,
behind which are shops. The street is
divided into two by a 2-metre wide water
canal running through the middle.
Other structures include the necropolis,
city walls, gymnasium, Roman Baths,
memorial fountain and the Greek and Roman
gates.
Thermessos
: The ruined city of Thermessos,
lying 34km west of Antalya in a rugged
mountain valley, was founded by the Solymi
people, from the interior of Anatolia.
Among the important remains are the 4200-seat
theatre and the Roman stele that Augustus
had built at the beginning of the first
century AD. The Odeon, the covered meeting
hall, has seating for 600 people. The five
inter-connecting underground cisterns were
used for the storage of water and olive
oil.
Other important remains include the Agora,
with an open western side and other sides
colonnaded; the heroic memorial of Hereon
on top of a 6-metre high platform; the
Corinthian-style temple, the Temple of
Zeus, the Lesser and Greater Temples of
Artemis, the gymnasium and the watch
towers. In addition, there are more than
1200 rock tombs.
Olympos :
Lying between Kemer and Adrasan is the
ancient harbour village of Cirali, the
ruins of Olympos and the site of the
Chimaera. The history of Olympos dates
back to the 2nd century BC when it was an
important Lycian city, although it was
empty by the 6th century. The Olympians
worshipped Hephaestos (Vulcan) the god of
fire, probably connected to the eternal
flame, or Chimaera, which still emerges
from the mountain. Known also as Yanartas
(burning stone), the flame is caused by
the burning of natural gas emerging from
the mountain. Apart from the ruins,
Olympos is well known for its simple
treehouse camps, where most tourists stay,
and a natural environment thanks to
forests and vineyards near to a beautiful
beach.
Ariassos
: The ancient remains of Ariassos,
around 50km from Antalya, are located on a
slope and contain baths and rock tombs.
Phaselis
: On the coast, 60km south of Antalya,
Phaselis was founded by the Rhodians in
the 7th century BC, and was known as the
most important seaport in Eastern Lycia.
On the west of the city is Hadrian's Gate,
with shops and baths on either side. The
city is accessible both by road and sea.
Limyra :
Believed to have been in existence
since the 5th century, Limyra is still in
existence despite a massive earthquake in
the mid 19th century although was emptied
in the 7th and 9th centuries after the
Arab invasions. The city, which is 11km
south, composes of three section; the
acropolis, areas of settlement, and
necropolis.
Arycanda
: Excavations of this city reveal that
it probably existed from the 5th century
BC, and controlled much of the Arycanda
valley. Having survived a destructive
earthquake in 240 AD, the city maintained
its prominence until the 11th century, and
its most important structures still
survive today.
Demre (Myra)
: Demre was one of the most important
cities of the Lycian civilisation. 25km
west of Finike and 48km east of Kas, Demre
was a place of settlement from the 5th
century BC. The city was deserted in 9 A.D
after the invasions of the Arabs. Rock
tombs, theatres and the Church of St.
Nicholas (said to be the original Santa
Claus) are the most interesting sites in
the town today.
Simena
(Kale) : Receiving its beauty
from its history, sea and sun, Simena is
accessible from Ucagiz. The submerged city
and the ancient remains at the opposite
island of Kekova island, make it a
worthwhile trip. There are traces of Roman
and other civilisations in Simena, the
history of which dates back to Lycian
civilisation. There is a small theatre
carved into the rock, and Roman city walls.
Aspendos:
The ancient city, 48km east of
Antalya, is most famous for its theatre,
probably the best preserved in Asia Minor.
It is still in use today, and stages the
annual Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival
every summer. It was the scene of a huge
bloody battle between the Persians and the
Greeks in 469 BC, and then ruled by the
Spartans 120 years later. The city became
part of the Seleucid kingdom after the
death of Alexander the Great, and then
became part of the Roman province of Asia
in 133 BC.
The famous theatre was built in the 2nd
century AD, using a Roman design, and it
is still intact. Ataturk was responsible
for much of the restoration, who after
visiting it declared that it should be
used as a theatre rather than simply a
museum.
In addition to the theatre, there is an
acropolis on a hilltop, of which the
nymphaeum and basilica are still fairly
intact.
Opening hours: Summer 08.00 - 19.00;
Winter 08.00 - 17.30.
Kekova : It is between
Kas-Demre. It is an ancient submerged city
500 m far from the ucaðiz Village in
Mediterranean.
Patara :
It is on Kalkan-Fethiye road,nearly 10
km before Kalkan and is located at the
south.. The colorful ceramics in the
center of the city reveal that the history
of the city reaches back to 5 B.C. Besides
its being the birth place of St. Nicholas,it
was one of the most important seaports
during the times of Alexander the Great.
Three gated city walls,one of which leads
to Patara, was constructed by the governor
Modestus in 110 . One of the most
important remnants is the theater
currently buried under the crystal clear
sandy beaches of Patara.
Xanthos :
Founded on the Xanthos river basin,Xanthos
is the biggest and the most ancient city
of Lycia. Having being remained
independent till the invasions of the
Persians in 4292 B.C,Xanthos tried hard to
defend against the invasions;however, upon
realizing the remote victory the people of
Xanthos first murdered their women then
commited suicide as a whole.Afterwards 80
family imigrating to the region refounded
the city but approximately 100 years later
the city was totally destroyed by a great
fire. Reesatblished city thenceforth
strengtened its connection with west and
became an important center.Still the city
can not be saved from misfortune. Upon
resisting to the taxes of the Roman Brutus,
the city was ruined and the people were
dragged into war. And Xanthos became the
city of catastrophe.
The city was founded around center of
Lycia and outside it were the remnants of
Roman city center. Roman theater and the
findings at the west side of the theater
still attracts the visitors. Harpy
memorial on the rocks is one of the most
important traces. Only the duplication of
the work of art, the original of which is
on exhibit in British Museum in England,can
be seen in the region.
Kas
(Antiphellos) : One of the
Lycian towns,Kas took its name from the
Greek word "Phellos" meaning stony place.
With its well preserved rock tombs and
theater, Kas is a wonderful town on the
Mediterranean coast.
Duden River
: Although it is one of the
major rivers of the southern Anatolia
region, its length is not very long; 15 km
/ 9 miles. The water which forms the river
travels underground from sources 40 km /
25 miles far away. In Duden park the water
surfaces and continues till it reaches the
sea. The water is used for irrigation of
most of the parks in Antalya.
Pamphylia
:
Which in ancient
Gr. means "land of all tribes" is located
on the Mediterranean coast of the Gulf of
Antalya. By looking at the meaning of the
word, it is understood that several tribes
had been here at different times.
The northern and southern borders of
Pamphylia were the Taurus mountains and
the Mediterranean Sea. The western border
with Lycia and the eastern border with
Cilicia never stayed stable. Four major
rivers traverse the Pamphylian plain, each
associated with a city in ancient times.
The Duden river was associated with
Attaleia, The Aksu river with Perge, the
Koprucay river with Aspendus and finally
the Manavgat river with Side.
The histories of the cities of Pamphylia
are similar with the exception of Antalya,
a later Hellenistic settlement.
EVENTS &
MAIN SIGHTS & ACCESS INFORMATION
Main Events:
October: Altin Portakal International Film
Festival
Main Sights in the Environs:
Arhaeology Museum, Hadrian's Gate, Kaleici
Harbour, Upper and Lower Duden Waterfalls,
Truncated Minaret, Fluted Minaret,
Aspendos, Perge, Side, Thermessos and
Phaselis.
Access:
Air: Antalya International Airport, 10 km
from the city centre
Road: Direct bus connections from all main
cities
Sea: Port of call for Mediterranean
cruises, ferry service to and from Venice
in the Summer. |
