Antalya Living Information

Antalya

Antalya Province is located on the Mediterranean coast of south-west Turkey, between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean sea.

Antalya Province is the centre of Turkey’s tourism industry, attracting 30% of foreign tourists visiting Turkey. It features a shoreline of 657 km with beaches, ports, and ancient cities scattered throughout, including the World Heritage Site Xanthos. The provincial capital is Antalya city.

Antalya is the fastest-growing province in Turkey; with a 4.17% yearly population growth rate between years 1990-2000, compared with the national rate of 1.83%. This growth is due to a fast rate of urbanization, particularly driven by tourism & other service sectors on the coast.

The city and thus the province are named after Attalos II, king of Pergamon, who founded the city in the 2nd century BC.

There are many archaeological sites in the province including three National Parks and three Specially Protected Areas.

• The coastal districts are; Antalya, Gazipaşa, Alanya, Manavgat, Serik, Kemer, Kumluca, Finike, Kale and Kaş.

• The inland districts are high in the Taurus Mountains, at elevations approx 900-1000 m above sea level. These are; Gündoımuş, Akseki, ıbradı, Korkuteli and Elmalı.

Have the experience of a lifetime when you treat yourself by booking wonderful Antalya holidays in Turkey’s largest seaside resort town on the Mediterranean coast. Bring your family along and have them enjoy a relaxing getaway in Antalya’s beaches far away from the stress and pollution of your harried urban lifestyle. Your blissful getaway here will help you better understand why this region is a favorite tourist destination not only in Turkey but in the whole of Europe as well.

Antalya Province is located on the Mediterranean coast of south-west Turkey, between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean sea.

The land of the province is 77.8% mountain, 10.2% plain and 12% uneven. Many of the peaks of the Taurus mountains are above 2500-3000 metres. The Teke peninsula in the west includes wide plateaus and river basins. Climate, agriculture, demographics and habitation patterns differ greatly between the inland mountain areas and the coastal plain.

The city of Antalya stretches along the bay bearing its name, and is built at 39 meters altitude on a rocky coastline. One is immediately struck by the Taurus mountains rising to 3086 meters above this coastline, interspersed with valleys of varying sizes. Land and sea everywhere meet the beaches stretching for miles or the steep cliffs. The Taurus mountains against the blue backdrop of the sky, the precipices and especially the caves close to the sea add another dimension to the beauty of the region.

Small and large streams emerging from the west side of the Taurus water the plains on their journey to the Mediterranean. This translucent running water, cascading into the sea at points along the coast, is another attractive sight.

The plant life of Antalya is extremely varied. Every kind of tropical plant can be found along the coast. Visitors to Antalya are struck by the size attained by the different species of cactus. When you reach the foothills of the Taurus, you will see they are covered in the typical Mediterranean marquis, while the forests are full of thriving oaks and pine trees. The cotton and sesame plantations and citrus and banana groves of the plains have a beauty of their own.

In Antalya the four seasons only appear on the calendar, as there is no real winter here, so much so that when in 1985 for the first time in 60 years snow fell, it was front page news.

The summers are hot and rainless while the other months are warm and often rainy, with a mean annual temperature of 18.7 °C. On average there is no rain for 309.5 days a year. It is very rare for the temperature to drop below zero. During the last 40 years the highest recorded temperature was 44.6 °C. In Antalya the average humidity rate is 64%, whereas the seat temperatures are 17.6 °C in January, 18.0 °C in April, 27.7 °C in August and 24.5 °C in September.

Antalya (formerly known as Adalia; from Pamphylian Greek: Attália) is a large town and tourist destination, situated on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It is the capital city of Antalya Province. The population of the city is 603,190 (2000 census) but reaches up to two million in summers at the height of tourism season.

Situated on a steep cliff over the Mediterranean, Antalya is a picturesque city surrounded by mountains. Developments in tourism, starting in the 1970s, have transformed the city into an international resort. With its airport and central location, Antalya is "the capital of Turkish tourism", a gateway for the Turkish riviera and many historical sites. Furthermore, with its palm-lined boulevards, its prize-winning marina, the unspoilt historical neighbourhood of Kaleiçi, and the modern developments along the coast, the city of Antalya is a major attraction in its own right. Antalya and its surroundings are a very important part of Turkish tourism.

Antalya city corresponds to the lands of ancient Pamphylia to the east and Lycia to the west. Antalya has plenty of accommodation, a very hot climate and many places to visit both in and around the city, including traces of Lycian,Pamphylian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman architecture and cultures.

Atatürk claimed without doubt Antalya is the most beautiful place in the world.

Antalya City

The city as a whole has grown huge now and there are many very attractive areas indeed: Kaleiçi, with its narrow cobbled streets of historic Turkish and Greek houses is the old center of Antalya, now mainly hotels, gift shops, and many, many bars. The big new hotels such as the Sheraton are along the coast above the Konyaalti and Lara beaches, and indeed spread along the coast in both directions far beyond the city of Antalya itself.

In summer the town is heaving with tourists both from Turkey itself and sun-seeking foreigners, many from Britain and Germany and for the last few years a large number from Russia as well.

Antalya has now acquired a rich middle-class and the associated developments such as private colleges, and luxury cars. The tree-lined avenue along the cliff-top to Konyaalti is one of Antalya’s best-known locations, lined with luxury apartments and posh shops; the other major shopping street is Işiklar Caddesi.

Antalya Maps

Here are some maps of Antalya and it’s surrounding region as well as a detailed map of Kaleiçi, the old town of Antalya.

Here is a list of various sites and monuments in Antalya.

Attalos II

In the 1st century BC, the Pergamum king Attalos II ordered his men 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 Attalos founded the city giving it the name "Attaleia" which later became Adalia and then Antalya.

In 150 BC Attalos II, king of Pergamom, founded the city of Attalia (present day Antalya) to base his powerful naval fleet, and the city grew and prospered in the Ancient Roman and Byzantine periods. Christianity started to spread in the region after 2nd century. Antalya was visited by Paul of Tarsus, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14:25-26), (wherein Antalya is referred to as Attalia). St. Paul and St. Barnabas went to Antalya and sailed from there to Antioch after preaching in Pisidia and Pamphylia. The city later became a naval base for the Christian Crusades against the Muslims in the Levant and in Cyprus.

The city, along with the whole region, was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the early 13th century.

Clock Tower

The Clock Tower, onto which a clock was placed at a later period, is situated at a site known as Castle Gate. The Murat Paşa Mosque which was built by in 1570 is covered with a high dome upon a ten-corner frame. In the city centre the Sinan Mosque ordered to be built by Sheikh Sinan during the 16th century with rubble stone was built single-galleried with the short minaret made of dressed stone. The tomb of Sheikh Sinan is located opposite to the mosque.

Hıdırlık Tower

Hıdırlık Tower (Turkish: Hıdırlık Kulesi) is a landmark tower of tawny stone in Antalya, Turkey, where Kaleiçi meets Karaalioglu Park. It is believed to be built in Hellenistic era and was either used as a fortification or a lighthouse in the past.

The tower is situated at the southern side of the place, where the land walls of the city join the sea walls. The 14 m high structure consists a circular tower rising on a quadratic pedestal. The tower’s gate at the eastern side leads to a small room, from where a narrow staircase goes up. There are signs of restoration work on the upper part done in the Seljuk and Ottoman eras.

Hırılık Tower is surrounded today with many cafés and restaurants having panoramic view of the Gulf of Antalya.

Hadrians Gate

The Hadrian’s Gate (or Hadrianus Gate or Üçkapılar (meaning "The Three Gates" in Turkish)) is a triumphal arch which was built in the name of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who visited Antalya in 130 A.D. It has three arched gates. According to the legend, those were the gates under which Belkis, the Queen of Saba, passed with her ships full of diamonds, on her way to visit King Solomon in Antalya. Sultan Belkis is said to have passed under those gates and to have enjoyed many a happy day in the palace in Aspendos.

Formerly the city walls enclosed the outside of the gate and it was not used for many years. This may be the reason why it has not been harmed, and it was only revealed when the walls collapsed. It is considered as Pamphylia’s most beautiful Gate. The upper part has three apertures in the shape of a cupola, and except for the pillars is built entirely of white marble. The ornamentation is very striking. The original Gate was two storeys but little is known of the top storey.

On either side of the Gate are towers, which are known not to have been built at the same time. The southern one is known as the Julia Sancta tower and is a work of the Hadrian era. It was constructed of plain stone blocks. While the base of the northern tower belongs to antiquity, the upper part is left over from the Seljuks.

Korkut Mosque

This mosque is of particular interest because it bears the traces of a long history from antique to Ottoman. A large church was built on the foundations of a 2nd Century A.D Temple which was knocked down in the 6th Century. During the 7th Century Arab invasion is suffered great damage and was repaired in the 9th Century.

It was converted to a Mosque during the Selcuk period but in 1361 when Antalya fell to the Cyprus King Peter I it was reconverted to a church. It again began to be used as a mosque during the reigh of Sultan Bayazid II’s son Prince Korkut (1470-1509). The mosque continued being used as a place of worship until 1896 when it was largly destroyed by fire. Known previously as the Korkut Mosque as well as the Friday mosque after the fire destroyed its upper section it was called the truncated mosque.

Yivli Minuret

The Yivli Minare Mosque (Ulu camii) is located in Antalya, Turkey. The mosque’s fluted minaret, which is decorated with dark blue tiles, is a landmark and symbol of the city. The mosque was first built in 1230 and fully reconstructed in 1373. The minaret is 38 metres high, built on a square stone base, with eight fluted sections and has 90 steps to the top.

The first building (1230) may have been a Byzantine church originally and may have been converted into a mosque around 1225-7, during the reign of the Seljuk sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I (1220-1237). The original mosque was destroyed in the 14th century and a new mosque was built which, with its six domes, is one of the oldest examples of multi-dome construction in Anatolia.

Today the building houses the Antalya Ethnographic Museum and contains clothing, kitchen utensils, embroidery, tapestries and looms, socks, sacks, kilims, ornaments, and nomadic tents. It was opened to the public in 1974.

The Mosque of Tekeli Mehmet Pasa

The Mosque of Tekeli Mehmet Pasa is an Ottoman work situated behind Clock Tower by the entrance of Antalya’s Old City (Kaleiçi).

The central dome, which rises on a high rim, is supported by three semi domes, one each in the east, west, and south directions, as well as three domes on the northern side. There are tiled panels decorated with ta’liq script on the pointed arch-formed lunettes of the windows on the northern façade of the mosque and inside it.

Neither the builder’s name nor the date of the construction of the mosque is known, though it is known that the structure underwent restoration in 1850 and 1940. It was thought that the building was built sometime between 1593-1607. It has been suggested that the building was changed into its present condition in the 17th century by an overall renovation of another that previously stood there, and even the assumption that the person who converted the Mevlevihane into a tekke (dervish lodge) during the 18th century was Tekeli Mehmet Pasa, so the mosque’s current name took effect only after that century. On the other hand, Evliya Çelebi in the 17th century speaks of the mosque as the “The Mosque of Tekeli Mehmet Pasa”. Besides, although there is no mention in the historical records of any person named Tekeli Mehmet Pasa living in the 18th century, it is known that the Melevihane was already converted into a tekke in the 17th century.

In addition to the architectural details being inadequate for dating the building, the present building’s modifications of one that already exited on the site cannot be verified conclusively. The fact that the name of the Mosque is not encountered in the official records providing information on the historical monuments in Antalya, namely the Registration Log of the Governmental Ottoman Archive dated 1530, and the Finance Ministry’s Ledger of the Governmental Ottoman Archive dated 1606-7, compels one to assume that the Mosque was built after the years 1606-1607. At which date then must the Mosque under discussion have been constructed? S.F. Erten, who issued the first reports on the Mosque, has demonstrated by means of information found in the Deed of Trust dated 1649 for the Adem Efendi Pious Foundation that Tekeli Mehmet Pasa was the patron of the Mosque, in addition to having collected further details about this person, according to which data Tekeli Mehmet Pasa was a Sergeant Major serving under Sultan Mehmet III.

He promoted to the rank of Chief Armorer in 1595 to 1596, and later was the appointed an Overlord. While he was the Governor of Van, he died there in 1616. Consequently, it is indicated that the Mosque of Tekeli Mehmet Pasa was built at some time between the years of 1607-7 when the Finance Ministry’s Ledger of the Governmental Ottoman Archive was recorded 1649 when the Deed of Trust for the Adem Efendi Pious Foundation was drawn up. Deducting from the clause of “…the late Tekeli Mehmet Pasa” was found in the Deed of Trust an entry, which implies that a deceased person could not have commissioned the building of any tangible property – the evidence provided shows that the Mosque was constructed between the year 1606 and the year of his death n 1606.

Seljuk Sultan 1st

A statue just erected in Antalya of the first Turkish conquerer of Antalya on May 5th 1207. He founded the turkish Navy and signed the first trade agreement between the Seljuk turks and the people of Antalya.

The younger son and heir Gıyaseddin Keyhusrev (1204-1211) acceded to the throne after his father Kılıç Arslan II’s death. His mother was a woman who belonged to the Byzantine Emperor’s family.

Kılıç Arslan appointed him as the governor of Uluborlu when he divided his country. After hiding his father’s death for a while, he declared his sultanate.

Keyhusrev, who stayed on the throne until 1196 had to cede Konya to his brother Suleyman Şah, who was the Tokat Governor. Gıyaseddin Keyhusrev lived a long and adventurous life after he left Konya to his brother Suleyman Şah. After a period of 9 years he repossessed the Seljuk Throne in February 1205.

The Seljuk Sultans organized their conquests and campaigns depending on the idea of accepting the importance of international commerce routes. The Sultan, who thought to capture Antalya which was an essential export-import centre for Turkey, kept on controlling the roads leading to the city.

Because of this situation the Greeks preferred the Turkish authority instead of living under Latin power and secretly contacted the Sultan calling on him to aquire the city.

From that point on the Sultan laid siege to the city again. After intense attacks, Hüsameddin Yavlak Arslan, who climbed the walls, dipped the Sultan’s flag on the towers of the castle and the city fell into Turkish power.

Atatürk Statue

The statue of Atatürk in Antalya Town Centre.

Antalya Harbour

The award-winning Antalya Kaleiçi Marina and Leisure Center is considered one of the loveliest marinas in Turkey. This center can well meet every tourist’s need worth its many souvenir shops, friendly cafes and restaurants as well as yacht moorings and services. Sail in the morning and enjoy the restful peace of the marina in the afternoon.

The old city walls, lit at night, lend an atmosphere of serenity and timelessness.

Kaleiçi

The historical center of the city; now restored as the touristic centre of the city with its hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants, and shopping. Kaleici retains much of its historical character and the restoration won the Golden Apple Prize, the Oscar of tourism.

Ancient monuments include the City Walls, Hıdırlık Tower, Hadrian’s Gate and the Clock Tower.

Antalya Parks

Photos from the Parks of Antalya, mainly the one close to Hidirlik Tower in the town centre.

Antalya Beaches

There are two main Beaches in Antalya. To the West of the city centre is Konyaalti Beach which is 5km long and has pebbles and on the East side is Lara Beach which is sandy.

Konyaalti Beach

Konyaaltı is a district of Antalya, Turkey. The name Konyaaltı which means "below Konya" stems from the fact the city of Antalya was an administrative part of the city of Konya during the Ottoman Empire and the location of the beach is where the steep cliff of the city ends. It is situated beneath the old city of Antalya extending miles toward west with various kinds of beaches from sand to pebbles. It has Beach Park lined with clubs and bars. The daytime beach clubs turn into night clubs at sunset.

Lara Beach

Lara is a district of Antalya city, Turkey. It is famous with its beach (Lara beach) that is one of the longest sand beaches of Turkey. It has thematic 5 to 7 star hotels in Kundu area which most of them are the replications of Moscow cathedrals, Topkapi palace, Venice, etc.. which makes the area sometimes called the Las Vegas in Turkey.

Also there is a 2 km beach park facility that includes 11 beach club units, 4 restaurants, 4 cafes, many bars and clubs, 2 football fields, 1 amusement park, open exhibition halls, many kindergartens, beach volley fields, beach soccer fields, activity spaces, recreation areas, watersports, bycicly,skate,jogging facilities and a free car park.