Antalya is a large city (about 1 million inhabitants) in southern Turkey. Since it is located on the Mediterranean coast, people come here, of course, for a beach holiday. There are few high-rise buildings in Antalya, so the city occupies a large area and stretches along the coastline for 20 km.
Antalya
The beaches of Antalya are mostly sand and pebbles, but in the very center, near the port, they are stone. Naturally, the farther from the center, the fewer people on the beach. The beach of the Konyalti area stretches for about 15 km. west.
There is enough space for everyone, but from its extreme tip to the center of Antalya it takes about 40 minutes by bus. However, the infrastructure is normal, and if you need a beach holiday, this is a great option.
Konyalti beach
There is something to see in Antalya, so a holiday here is ideal for those who like to combine a beach holiday with sightseeing.
Attractions of Antalya
Attractions are located mainly in the center. In general, Antalya is an ancient city. It was founded by the Greeks in 159 BC. e. under the name Attalia (in honor of the Pergamon king Attalus II). Further, everything was quite typical for the territory of present-day Turkey – the Roman conquest, then Byzantium, the Seljuk conquest and the Ottoman Empire.
In addition to historical sights in Antalya, there are original monuments and fountains. Quite a lot of parks.
Fountain
The park
Closer to the eastern outskirts of Antalya, the Duden River flows, forming several waterfalls. The most accessible to visit is the last one, which falls directly into the sea. The full flow of the Duden waterfalls, of course, strongly depends on the time of year.
We were in Antalya in September, which is probably not the best time for admiring the waterfalls, but it was quite beautiful. Here, from all over the coast, tourists are brought on boats, but the view from the coast is no worse.
Duden River
Duden waterfall
Duden waterfall
The center of old Antalya is the port and a partially preserved fortress wall. The wall already existed in Roman times, it was rebuilt by the Byzantines, and then by the Seljuk sultans. This area of Antalya is called Kaleici – literally “inside the wall.”
Port of Antalya and Kaleici
Kaleici
A stone staircase leads from the port to the old town. Next to the stairs is a small Iskele mosque built in the 19th century over the spring.
Iskele Mosque
Yivli Minaret is the symbol of Antalya. The mosque was built in the 13th century. and reconstructed in the 14th century. Yivli means “grooved”.
Yivli Minaret
Yivli Minaret Mosque
Yivli Minaret
Near the mosque there were two madrasahs, also built in the 13th century.
Atabey Armagan Madrassah, now named after its builder, has an official name – “Key-Khusrava Madrasah”(in honor of the then ruling Seljuk Sultan). The name of the second madrasah is unknown, so now it is simply “Minaret madrasah”.
In general, the entire complex of the Corrugated Minaret is an example of early Islamic architecture, which has been preserved in few places.
Madrassah Atabey Armagan
Minaret Madrasah
Nearby is another madrasah of the same period of construction – Karatay. It is considered the best-preserved building of this type, and on the Internet you can see photos of almost the palace. In fact, only the entrance portal is available for viewing, the rest, apparently, is inside, but how to get there is unknown.
Madrasah Karatay
The walls of Antalya do not cover a very large area and, at a distance of about half a kilometer from the port, again descend to the sea, where they end with the Hidirlik tower.
Wall of Antalya
The tower is a construction of the Roman era (II century), despite the current clearly Turkish name (literally “the place of Khidir”. Khidir, also known as Khizr, is an Islamic righteous man). It served as either a lighthouse or a defensive structure. And possibly both.
Hidirlik Tower
There are several other interesting buildings inside the walls.
The Korkut Mosque, apparently, has been restored for a long time and there is no end in sight. But this is a very interesting building, leading its history since Greek times.
On this site there were successively a Greek and then a Roman temple, a Byzantine church, a Seljuk mosque, a Greek church (during the short reign of the Cypriot kings), a Catholic church (of the Order of the Hospitallers), again an Orthodox church (after the Greeks recaptured the city), and mosque again. It is difficult to say what was left of which building, but obviously all these churches with mosques were not built anew, but rebuilt from the existing ones.
In the 19th century lightning struck the minaret, which cut off its top and caused a fire that severely damaged the mosque.
Mosque Korkut
The entrance to the city was through the gates of Hadrian. This is a typical Roman triumphal arch erected on the occasion of Emperor Hadrian’s visit to Attalia in 130 BC. The gates were walled up for a long time and were not used, thanks to which they were preserved. In the middle of the XX century the gate has been restored.
The pavement under the arch has been removed and now you can see the original Roman road, with deep ruts in the stone pavement. The towers on both sides are also Roman, but they have nothing to do with the arch – these are defensive structures. The tower, ending in battlements, was rebuilt by the Seljuks.
Hadrian’s Gate
Hadrian’s Gate
Roman road
The clock tower (Saat Kulesi) became a clock tower at the beginning of the 20th century. The upper tier was added to set the clock, and the base of the tower is clearly of Roman origin.
Saat Kulesi
Watchtowers
There are several museums in Antalya, but the main one, of course, is the one that is called “Antalya Museum”:). This is an archaeological museum, which contains finds from Antalya and its environs, most of them from Perge. Indeed, very interesting, few museums in the world can boast of such a collection.
Antalya Museum – Greek jug (V-IV century BC)
Antalya Museum
Antalya Museum – Emperor Hadrian, Perge (II century)
Antalya Museum – Emperor Trajan, Perge (II c.)
Antalya Museum – Empress Aurelia Paulina, Perge (II c.)
Antalya Museum – Goddess Artemis, Perge (II c.)
Antalya Museum – Aphrodite, Perge (II century)
Antalya Museum – Apollon, Perge (II c.)
Antalya Museum – fragments of buildings from Perge (II century)
Antalya Museum – fragments of buildings from Perge (II century)
Antalya Museum – fragments of buildings from Perge (II century)
Antalya Museum – Tombs from Perge (II c.)
Antalya Museum – Tomb from Perge (II c.)
Antalya Museum – Tomb from Perge (II c.)
Antalya Museum – Tomb from Perge (II c.)
Antalya Museum – Parapet from Elmala (VI c.)
Cats and dogs are taken care of in Antalya. There are bowls of water and food everywhere on the streets, and in the very center, near the wall, they even built houses for cats.
Cat’s houses
Antalya has an amusement park and a water park. Both are small but cheap.