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The largest city on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast and a popular hub for visitors to the expansive “Turkish Riviera,” the ancient port of Antalya is rich with gold-sand beaches and well-preserved Hellenistic and Roman archeological sites. For a scenic introduction to the area, visitors can take an excursion boat from the marina or ride the vintage tram from the old city to nearby Konyaalti Beach. The soaring stone arches of the second-century Hadrian’s Gate beckon visitors to explore Kaleiçi, the city’s old quarter. Walled in on the rocky bluffs above the harbor, restaurants, shops, white-washed houses with terra-cotta roofs and many of Antalya’s historical structures crowd the winding lanes.
Remains from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages unearthed in nearby Karain Cave suggest this region of Turkey has supported human life for over 50 thousand years. Beginning with the Hittites who came from the Caucasus and Mesopotamia, the parade of ancient tribes and nations who have passed through the Antalyan region include the Phyrgians, Greeks, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans. However the city for which the region is named did not come into being until Attalos II had the area rebuilt following the territorial war that broke out after the death of Alexander the Great. The city has been known successively as Attaleis, Adalia, Adalya and Antalya. Today the city is Turkey's premier holiday destination. Basking in sunshine 300 days a year, Antalya boasts an uncommonly beautiful stretch of Mediterranean seashore. Known as the "Turquoise Riviera," the city welcomes nature lovers with a full range of water sports that include wind surfing, scuba diving and swimming. Once the only working port on Turkey's western seaboard, Antalya has yielded its docking operations to a new industrial harbor west of the city and given its waters over completely to recreational use. Now known as the "Yacht Harbor," Antalya's port is a favorite among Mediterranean sailors and features a prize-winning marina. Climbing up from the harbor, narrow streets lead through the Kaleici Quarter, the old city center. Here, timber and masonry houses abut ancient city walls and reflect the habit and custom of the people who've populated the area throughout the centuries. Elsewhere in the harbor town, Hadrian's Gate (built in 130 A.D.) still stands to honor the Roman emperor; the Hidirlik Tower (built in the 2nd century) survives its ancient purpose as a lighthouse; and the Truncated Minaret Mosque, though in disrepair, stands as testament to the Byzantine and Seljuk cultures from which it arose. More modern distractions include casino gaming and shopping along the palm-shaded boulevards. If you happen to be in the vicinity in the months of March and April, you can also enjoy snow skiing in the nearby Taurus Mountains. Yes, you can actually snow ski in the morning and play beach blanket bingo in the afternoon.