Antalya

Ancient Roman Harbour - Yacht Marina

Antalya, Turkey's fastest growing city (population about 500,000), was founded by king Attalus II of Pergamon (Pergamum) in 158 BC and named Attaleia in his honour. After the death of his son king Attalus III in 133 BC, who without heirs willed his kingdom to Rome, Atteleia became a Roman city. Emperor Hadrian (Hadrianus) visited the city in 139 AD and a triumphal arch (Hadriyanüs  Kapısı) was built in his honour. After the Romans, the Byzantines took over and it was an important staging post for the Crusaders. In 1207 the Seljuk (Selçuk) Turks took control of the city and renamed it to Antalya. They also gave  Antalya most of its medieval monuments, including its symbol the Yivli Minare (Grooved or Fluted Minaret). The Seljuks were defeated by the Mongols and in 1391 the Ottomans took over. After World War I, Antalya was given to Italy in 1919, but by 1921 it was returned to Turkey. More information on Antalya and its history can be found on Dr. Fuat Kivran's web page.

Present Antalya,  is a charming city with a lovely yacht marina and a beautifully restored historic city centre. Kaleiçi is the name of the peaceful historic old quarter which features Ottoman houses sprinkled with Roman ruins. The pictures below take you through a photographic tour of Antalya's Kaleiçi district.

We spent three nights in Antalya in the Hotel Frankfurt (single US $ 25), located very conveniently in the Kaleiçi quarter, Hıdırlık Sokak No. 17, Tel. +90 0242/247 62 24. Hotel Frankfurt has cool rooms and air-conditioning in the lobby. There's also a nice swimming pool. Breakfast is luxurious and the hotel has a German standard for cleanliness and service. Mustafa the owner of Hotel Frankfurt is most helpful in arranging transportation to the airport, the bus station, and the archeological sites in the vicinity of Antalya: Perge, Aspendos, Termessos. We took most of our diners at the Hasanağa Restaurant, a ten minute walk from Hotel Frankfurt. Excellent food, the meals are served in in the garden, nice atmosphere, especially when the rakı drinkers start singing. 

Returning from Perge and Aspendos, the Kursunlu Waterfalls National Park(Kurşunlu Şelalesi Tabiat Parkı),, located at 25 km from the city center along the Antalya-Alanya highway, offers a nice refreshment, especially enjoyable on a hot Mediterranean summer day.

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