An ancient city, beautifully located on the banks of the Meditteranean coast of Turkeys Riviera and one of the biggest international sea resorts. The eighth most populous city in the country and capital of its eponymous province, hosting over 1 million people nowadays. A centre of beautiful beaches, verdant mountains, ancient ruins and many more…
During the Hellenistic period, King Attalus II of Pergamon found the place and for his honour, the city took its name after him, in 150 BC. First settled around 200BC by the Attalid dynasty of Pergamon, but changed hands several times, including the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire, which ruled for about 500 hundred years. It used to be a big naval station of the Southern Anatolian coast, a big commercial center and the most convenient harbor between the Aegean Sea and Cyprus. A place where you could at the same time see Armenians, Saracens, Jews and Italians!
Today, Antalya is known not only for its blue waters and the clear beaches, but also for being a modern metropolis surrounded by ancient fortifications! Kaleiçi, is a district located in the centre of the city, which houses beautiful restored Ottoman buildings and an atmospheric enviroment! Some buildings of the Roman time have been beautifully restored as houses, hotels, pansions and wonderful restaurants.
Every year a large number of tourists visit Antalya to spent their vacation! The city offers many kilometers of beautiful sandy and rocky beaches. The most famous ones are: Olympos beach, Portakal beach, Alanya Damlata beach, Konyaalti Beach, Lara Beach and Patara Beach.
The weather conditions during the year, are within normal range. At winter, the temperature never drops below zero and humidty rate is around 60%. In January the average temperature is 15 degrees C, in April 18 degrees C, in August 28 degrees C and in September 24 degrees C. Rain and snow are highly unlikely.
There are many wonderful places tourists can visit departing from Antalya, such as Demre and Manavgat. Also there are several day trips to nearby archeological sites such as Aspendos, Olimpos, Perge, Phaselis, Selge, Side and Termessos!
One of the most famous attractions in the city is the Yivliminare Mosque, also known as the Fluted Minaret! It is a historical mosque built by the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubad I in 1230 and fully reconstructed in 1373. The minaret is 38 meters high, built on a square stone base, with eight fluted sections and has 90 steps to the top. With its six domes, is one of the oldest examples of multi-dome construction in Anatolia. The mosque’s fluted minaret is decorated with dark blue tiles, which makes it a landmark and symbol of the city. Nowadays the buiding hosts the Antalya Ethnographic Museum which contains kitchen utensils, embroidery, tapestries and looms, socks, sacks, kilims, ornaments, and nomadic tents.
The best and cheapest way to travel to Antalya is by plane. There is a modern international airport 10km east of the city center, providing flights to all big cities in Turkey and to international destinations. There is also a big bus terminal (Otogar) 4 km North of the city, which provides regural buses departures.