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 center 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 Pergamon 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. 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 honor 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.
The
memorial Hadrian Arch and the Clock Tower are remarkable
and date back to Hellenistic era. Kaleici is the
nucleus of a city which embraced many civilizations
during time. It is now restored and has became a most
attractive tourism center with its hotels,
restaurants, shopping and entertainment facilities.
Kaleici retains all the original ancient Turkish
archaeological characteristics. The port's marina has
been completely restored and is well worth visiting. The
restoration activities in Kaleici won the Golden Apple
Prize, the Oscar of tourism.
The
Antalya Museum is 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 honor of the Emperor
Hadrian. It is the most amazing area in the whole
ancient Pamphylia region.
Kesik
Minare (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 turquoise tiles,
the minaret eventually became the symbol of the city.
The
ruined city of Termessos, 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 seats 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.
Perge
: 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 center 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
center 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.
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.
Side
is one of the well-known ancient Turkish cities. It was
an ancient harbor town and the name Side means
pomegranate. Now it is an attractive small town. Huge
ancient amphitheatre in Side is the biggest in that
region. Also Agora spring, Necropolis and the Temple of
Apollo are worth seeing. A great Roman spa has been
converted into a museum and there you can see one of the
finest archaeological collections of Turkey on display.
At
Demre (Kale), the ancient Myra, (25 km west of Finike),
many splendidly carved rock tombs overlook the
magnificent Roman theatre. St. Nicholas was the bishop
of this Mediterranean city during the fourth century,
and died here in 342. Every year in December the Santa
Claus Commemoration Ceremony attracts . many tourists
who spend their Christmas holidays on the sunny coast of
ancient Lycia.
Dalyanagzi,
the ancient harbor of Andriace, west of Demre, has a
good beach for swimming and sunbathing.
Kekova
is an island an hour from Dalyanagzi
by sea as well as
the name of a whole ensemble of picturesque islands,
numerous bays and ancient cities. These bays provide
natural harbors in all seasons, and yachtsmen
particularly enjoy exploring the beautiful landscape.
Along the northern shore of Kekova Island at Apollonia,
earthquakes have disturbed the land causing some of the
ancient houses to sink under the clear water, creating a
sunken city. Kalekoy Castle (Simena) offers a
bird's-eye view of the bays, inlets, islands and
colorful yachts sailing peacefully on the glassy water.
A
principal harbor of ancient Lycia, Patara is reached by
following a winding mountain road before descending to
the site. Here, according to mythology, Apollo was born.
More concrete history reveals that this town was the
birthplace of St. Nicholas. The ruins are, of course,
numerous and interesting. But Patara is also a place for
beach lovers. Its 22 km of pure white sand stretches as
far as the eye can see, making it a natural choice for
all types of beach sports. The remoteness of this
undiscovered corner makes it feel like your own private
getaway.
Fethiye
has one of the
most beautiful and clearest coast along the
Mediterranean, called Oludeniz.
Source:
Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture and Tourism
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 center 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 Pergamon 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. 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 honor 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.
Perge
: 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 center 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
center 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.
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.
At
Demre (Kale), the ancient Myra, (25 km west of Finike),
many splendidly carved rock tombs overlook the
magnificent Roman theatre. St. Nicholas was the bishop
of this Mediterranean city during the fourth century,
and died here in 342. Every year in December the Santa
Claus Commemoration Ceremony attracts . many tourists
who spend their Christmas holidays on the sunny coast of
ancient Lycia.
