Antalya

About the City

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 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. Antalya has been growing rapidly since 1960 and its population is 1,146,109 according to the 1990 census.


Kaleici
It contains dozens of different boutique hotels, cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops.
In addition, structures dating back to Ottoman history, especially Hadrian’s Gate and Yivli Minaret, are worth seeing.
You can get on the excursion boats from the marina and have fun in the evenings in Kaleici.
Duden Waterfall
It is divided into two as Upper Düden and Lower Düden. Usually preferred by travelers visiting Antalya for the first time, the Yukarı Düden branch is in the Varsak district, which is about 11 km from the city center. Lower Duden is near Lara. Especially if you are here close to sunset, you can enjoy the view from the viewing terrace.
Kurşunlu Waterfall
In the nature park, where the waterfall is located in the center, which you can reach by taking the public transportation vehicles departing from the city center of Antalya, you can visit interesting places as well as the waterfall view, go on a camel ride, see the historical water mill and the famous cedar trees.
Antalya Museum
In the museum located in the city center, nearly 30 thousand works and ancient ruins from the Lower Paleolithic Age to the Roman period are exhibited in 11 halls arranged according to different themes.
Konyaaltı Beach
The beach, located in Altınkum location, has fine sand at some points and pebbles at some points. It has a length of approximately 1.5 km and has shower, wc, food, locker cabin, disabled access, parking lot, watchtower and lifeguard services. Access to the beaches is free.
Minicity
You can visit the museums of Modern Arts, Once Upon a Time in Antalya, Anadolu Toys, Nostalgic Vehicles and Simulation Center, Botanic Park, Train Library and Botanic Park in the thematic amusement park, which houses the miniatures of landmarks in different cities of Turkey.
Karain Cave
Karain Cave, located in Yağca Village, is a historical formation worth seeing with its finds dating back 500 thousand years. The finds discovered in the cave, which consists of 7 different galleries, are exhibited in the Antalya Museum.
Saklıkent Ski Center
The ski season in the center starts in the second week of December and continues until the middle of April. There are 4 different tracks with different difficulty levels in the winter sports center. In addition to these tracks, which are accessible from three chairlift lines, a special track has been created for guests who want to sleigh.
Aspendos Antique Theater
The theater, which was built by the Romans in the 2nd century AD, is well preserved until today, and continues cultural activities with its magnificent acoustic features.
Perge Ancient City
The ancient city of Perge, also known as the City of Water due to its large baths and numerous fountains, is located in Aksu. The theater, stadium, agora, Southern Bath, Colonnaded Street and Hellenistic Gate of the ancient city, which was home to many civilizations until the Early Bronze Age, are worth seeing. Termessos Ancient City
Olympos Ancient City
The city within the borders of Kemer is a settlement from ancient times. Ulupınar Stream, theater and rock tombs, Yanartaş and the view on the acropolis are worth visiting.