Antalya
Encyclopedia
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean
coast of southwestern Turkey
. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort
.
It is uncertain when the site of the current city was first inhabited. Attalos II, king of Pergamon
, was believed to have founded the city around 150 BC
, naming it Attalia and selecting it as a naval base for his powerful fleet. However, excavations in 2008 in the Doğu Garajı district of Antalya have uncovered remains dating to the 3rd century BC, suggesting that the city was founded earlier than previously supposed. Antalya became part of the Roman Republic
in 133 BC when King Attalos III
of Pergamon willed his kingdom to Rome at his death. The city grew and prospered during the Ancient Roman period.
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
: "From Perga
, Paul and Barnabas went down to Attalia and sailed from there to Antioch
after preaching in Pisidia
and Pamphylia
" (Acts 14:25-26).
Antalya was a major city in the Byzantine Empire
. It was the capital of the Byzantine Theme of Carabisiani (Θέμα Kαραβησιάνων, Thema Karavēsianōn), which occupied the southern coasts of Anatolia and the Aegean Islands. At the time of the accession of John II Comnenus (1118) it was an isolated outpost surrounded by Turkish beyliks, accessible only by sea.
The city, along with the surrounding region, was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the early 13th century. Antalya was the capital of the Turkish beylik of Teke
(1321–1423) until its conquest by the Ottomans. The Arabic traveler Ibn Battuta
who came to the city in between 1335-1340 noted:
In the second half of the 17th century Evliya Çelebi
wrote of a city of narrow streets containing 3,000 houses in twenty Turkish and four Greek neighborhoods. The town had grown beyond the city walls and the port was reported to hold up to 200 boats.
In the 19th century, in common with most of Anatolia, its sovereign was a "dere bey
" (land lord or landowner). The family of Tekke Oğlu, domiciled near Perge, though reduced to submission in 1812 by Mahmud II
, continued to be a rival power to the Ottoman governor until within the present generation, surviving by many years the fall of the other great beys of Anatolia. The records of the Levant (Turkey) Company, which maintained an agency in Antalya until 1825, documented the local dere beys.
In the 20th century the population of Antalya increased as Turks from the Caucasus and the Balkans moved into Anatolia. By 1911 it was a city of about 25,000 people, including many Christians and Jews, still living in separate quarters around the walled mina or port. The port was served by coast steamers of local companies. Antalya (then Adalia) was picturesque, but ill-built and backward. The chief attraction for visitors was the city wall, and outside a promenade -a portion of which survives to the present. The government offices and the houses of the higher classes were all outside of the walls.
The city was briefly occupied by the Italians from the end of the First World War until the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
king Attalos II ordered his men to find "heaven on earth". After an extensive search, they discovered the region of Antalya. King Attalos rebuilt the city, giving it the name "Attaleia" which later mutated in Turkish as Adalia and then Antalya. Attaleia was also the name of a festival at Delphi
and Attalis (Greek: Ἀτταλίς) was the name of an ancient Greek tribe at Athens.
This metropolis consists of five borough
s: Konyaaltı
(112,647), Kepez (399,006), Muratpaşa (416,576), Aksu ( 45,094), and Döşemealtı (27,995).
Antalya is in south-west Anatolia
, on the Mediterranean Gulf of Antalya
, approximately 546 kilometres (339 mi) from Ankara, 562 kilometres (349 mi) from Adana, 466 kilometres (290 mi) from Izmir, and 727 kilometres (452 mi) from Istanbul.
The Taurus mountain
range of southern Anatolia runs parallel to the Mediterranean in an east-west direction, resulting in the formation of narrow coastal plains surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on the fourth. Some parts of the coast feature mountains plunging sharply into the sea, forming small natural bays and peninsulas. Antalya is situated on one such plain where the mountains recede from the shore, consisting of two flat areas formed of travertine
rock at a mean height of 35 metres (115 ft); the town center is located on the rocky plain closest the coast, with urban sprawl extending to the Kepezüstü Plain further inland.
. Antalya has a Mediterranean climate
with hot and dry summers and mild and rainy winters. Around 300 days of the year are sunny. Antalya has over 3000 hours of sunlight per year. The sea temperature ranges between 15 °C (59 °F) during winter and 28 °C (82.4 °F) during summer. The air temperature reached a record high of 45 °C (113 °F) in July and a record low of -4 C in February. The average air temperature ranges between the low-to-mid 30 °C (86 °F).
The economy of Antalya used to depend on a mixture of tourism, agriculture, and commerce, with some light industry
. Agricultural production includes citrus fruits
, cotton, cut flowers, olives, olive oil
and bananas. Antalya Metropolitan Municipality’s covered wholesale food market complex meets 65% of the fresh fruit and vegetable demand of the province.
Since 2000, shipyards have been opened in Antalya Free Zone, specialized in building pleasure yachts. Some of these yards have advanced in composites boat building technology.
, with its narrow cobbled streets of historic Ottoman era houses, is the old center of Antalya. With its hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants, and shopping, it has been restored to retain much of its historical character; its restoration has won the Golden Apple Tourism Prize. Cumhuriyet Square, the main square of the city, is the location for temporary open air exhibitions and performances. The city also features sites with traces of Lycia
n, Pamphylia
n, and Hellenistic
, Roman
, Byzantine
, Seljuk and Ottoman
architecture and cultures. International luxury hotels, such as the Sheraton
, stand along the coast above the Konyaalti
and Lara
beaches.
is located in Antalya.
There are a total of 12,000 teachers serving 275,000 students in the city.
(made with tahini
, garlic, walnuts, and boiled beans), spicy hibeş with mixed cumin and tahini, şiş köfte, tandır kebap, domates civesi, şakşuka, and various cold Mediterranean dishes with olive oil
. One local speciality is tirmis, boiled seeds of the lupin, eaten as a snack. "Grida" (also known as Lagos or Mediterrenean white grouper) is a fish common in local dishes.
, Lara
and Karpuzkaldıran. For winter sports, Beydağları and Saklikent
are both natural beauties of the city.
There are a number of mosque
s, churches, madrasahs, masjids, hans (caravanserai
) and hamams (Turkish bath) in the city. Kaleiçi, the harbor, which the city walls
enclose, is the oldest part of the city. Kaleiçi features many historic houses with traditional Turkish and local Greek architecture
.
Main transportation to the city is by air and land. Sea routes are still under development.
In 2007, the airport added a new terminal.
The city has a main port at the south of the Konyaaltı. It is planning to launch local routes to Kemer.
There is a network of look-alike Dolmuş
es that are privately owned and operated minibus
es, run under strict municipal control.
Antalya Ulasim, a municapally-owned corporation, runs the public bus system. The corporation owns Antobus and Antray. AntObüs was started in September 2010. 40 buses arrived in June 2010. The city is planning to increase the number by 140 more buses.
Payment for public transportation was made in cash until the launch of a public transportation card, Antkart, in late 2007. The card system met with criticism and was subsequently canceled in June 2009, returning to a cash system. The municipality launched a new card system, unofficially called Halkkart, in Summer 2010.
The tram system runs from Antalya Museum and the Sheraton Voyager and Falez hotels, along the main boulevard to the city center at Kalekapisi, Hadrian's Gate
, Karaalioglu Park, and ending at Talya Oteli. Trams depart on the hour and half-hour from the terminal (east and west), and reach Kalekapisi between 10 and 15 minutes later.
In December 2009, a 11.1 kilometres (6.9 mi) light rail
line Antray was opened from one of the main city public bus hub northwest to the Zoo and beyond to suburban areas.
has two international terminals and one domestic terminal. In 2007, its number of passengers on international flights surpassed the total number at Istanbul Ataturk Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport
for the first time, officially earning the title of "the capital of Turkish tourism".
with: Austin
, Texas
, United States
Bat Yam, Israel
Cheboksary
, Russia
Famagusta
, Cyprus
Haikou
, People's Republic of China
Kazan
, Russia
Mostar
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nuremberg
, Germany
Rostov-Na-Donu, Russia
Taldykorgan
, Kazakhstan
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coast of southwestern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort
Resort town
A resort town, sometimes called a resort city or resort destination, is a town or area where tourism or vacationing is a primary component of the local culture and economy...
.
History
Pergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
, was believed to have founded the city around 150 BC
150 BC
Year 150 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Flamininus and Balbus...
, naming it Attalia and selecting it as a naval base for his powerful fleet. However, excavations in 2008 in the Doğu Garajı district of Antalya have uncovered remains dating to the 3rd century BC, suggesting that the city was founded earlier than previously supposed. Antalya became part of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
in 133 BC when King Attalos III
Attalus III
Attalus III Philometor Euergetes was the last Attalid king of Pergamon, ruling from 138 BC to 133 BC....
of Pergamon willed his kingdom to Rome at his death. The city grew and prospered during the Ancient Roman period.
Christianity started to spread in the region after 2nd century. Antalya was visited by Paul of Tarsus
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
: "From Perga
Perga
Perga was an ancient Greek city in Anatolia and the capital of Pamphylia, now in Antalya province on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Today it is a large site of ancient ruins east of Antalya on the coastal plain. Located there is an acropolis dating back to the Bronze Age...
, Paul and Barnabas went down to Attalia and sailed from there to Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
after preaching in Pisidia
Pisidia
Pisidia was a region of ancient Asia Minor located north of Lycia, and bordering Caria, Lydia, Phrygia and Pamphylia. It corresponds roughly to the modern-day province of Antalya in Turkey...
and Pamphylia
Pamphylia
In ancient geography, Pamphylia was the region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus . It was bounded on the north by Pisidia and was therefore a country of small extent, having a coast-line of only about 75 miles with a breadth of...
" (Acts 14:25-26).
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. It was the capital of the Byzantine Theme of Carabisiani (Θέμα Kαραβησιάνων, Thema Karavēsianōn), which occupied the southern coasts of Anatolia and the Aegean Islands. At the time of the accession of John II Comnenus (1118) it was an isolated outpost surrounded by Turkish beyliks, accessible only by sea.
The city, along with the surrounding region, was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the early 13th century. Antalya was the capital of the Turkish beylik of Teke
Beylik of Teke
The Anatolian beylik of Teke with its capital at Antalya was one of the frontier principalities established by Oghuz Turkish clans after the decline of Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm. The dynasty started with a split of territories between two brothers of the dynasty ruling the neighboring Beylik of...
(1321–1423) until its conquest by the Ottomans. The Arabic traveler Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
who came to the city in between 1335-1340 noted:
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
wrote of a city of narrow streets containing 3,000 houses in twenty Turkish and four Greek neighborhoods. The town had grown beyond the city walls and the port was reported to hold up to 200 boats.
In the 19th century, in common with most of Anatolia, its sovereign was a "dere bey
Bey
Bey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...
" (land lord or landowner). The family of Tekke Oğlu, domiciled near Perge, though reduced to submission in 1812 by Mahmud II
Mahmud II
Mahmud II was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. He was born in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, the son of Sultan Abdulhamid I...
, continued to be a rival power to the Ottoman governor until within the present generation, surviving by many years the fall of the other great beys of Anatolia. The records of the Levant (Turkey) Company, which maintained an agency in Antalya until 1825, documented the local dere beys.
In the 20th century the population of Antalya increased as Turks from the Caucasus and the Balkans moved into Anatolia. By 1911 it was a city of about 25,000 people, including many Christians and Jews, still living in separate quarters around the walled mina or port. The port was served by coast steamers of local companies. Antalya (then Adalia) was picturesque, but ill-built and backward. The chief attraction for visitors was the city wall, and outside a promenade -a portion of which survives to the present. The government offices and the houses of the higher classes were all outside of the walls.
The city was briefly occupied by the Italians from the end of the First World War until the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
Etymology
According to tradition, in the 2nd century BC, the PergamonPergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
king Attalos II ordered his men to find "heaven on earth". After an extensive search, they discovered the region of Antalya. King Attalos rebuilt the city, giving it the name "Attaleia" which later mutated in Turkish as Adalia and then Antalya. Attaleia was also the name of a festival at Delphi
Delphi
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
and Attalis (Greek: Ἀτταλίς) was the name of an ancient Greek tribe at Athens.
Demographics
As of 2010, the Address-Based Birth Recording System showed a metropolitan population of 1,001,318 (502,491 male; 498,827 female).Geography
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
s: Konyaaltı
(112,647), Kepez (399,006), Muratpaşa (416,576), Aksu ( 45,094), and Döşemealtı (27,995).
Antalya is in south-west Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, on the Mediterranean Gulf of Antalya
Gulf of Antalya
The Gulf of Antalya is a large bay of the northern Levantine Sea, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea south of Antalya province, Turkey. It includes some of the main seaside resorts of Turkey, also known as the "Turkish riviera"....
, approximately 546 kilometres (339 mi) from Ankara, 562 kilometres (349 mi) from Adana, 466 kilometres (290 mi) from Izmir, and 727 kilometres (452 mi) from Istanbul.
The Taurus mountain
Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
range of southern Anatolia runs parallel to the Mediterranean in an east-west direction, resulting in the formation of narrow coastal plains surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on the fourth. Some parts of the coast feature mountains plunging sharply into the sea, forming small natural bays and peninsulas. Antalya is situated on one such plain where the mountains recede from the shore, consisting of two flat areas formed of travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
rock at a mean height of 35 metres (115 ft); the town center is located on the rocky plain closest the coast, with urban sprawl extending to the Kepezüstü Plain further inland.
Climate
The area is shielded from the northerly winds by the Taurus MountainsTaurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
. Antalya has a Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
with hot and dry summers and mild and rainy winters. Around 300 days of the year are sunny. Antalya has over 3000 hours of sunlight per year. The sea temperature ranges between 15 °C (59 °F) during winter and 28 °C (82.4 °F) during summer. The air temperature reached a record high of 45 °C (113 °F) in July and a record low of -4 C in February. The average air temperature ranges between the low-to-mid 30 °C (86 °F).
Economy
Light industry
Light industry is usually less capital intensive than heavy industry, and is more consumer-oriented than business-oriented...
. Agricultural production includes citrus fruits
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
, cotton, cut flowers, olives, olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
and bananas. Antalya Metropolitan Municipality’s covered wholesale food market complex meets 65% of the fresh fruit and vegetable demand of the province.
Since 2000, shipyards have been opened in Antalya Free Zone, specialized in building pleasure yachts. Some of these yards have advanced in composites boat building technology.
Tourism
KaleiçiKaleiçi
Kaleiçi is the historic city center of Antalya, Turkey. Until modern times, almost the entire city was confined within its walls. It has structures dating from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and modern Turkish republican eras...
, with its narrow cobbled streets of historic Ottoman era houses, is the old center of Antalya. With its hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants, and shopping, it has been restored to retain much of its historical character; its restoration has won the Golden Apple Tourism Prize. Cumhuriyet Square, the main square of the city, is the location for temporary open air exhibitions and performances. The city also features sites with traces of Lycia
Lycia
Lycia Lycian: Trm̃mis; ) was a region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey. It was a federation of ancient cities in the region and later a province of the Roman Empire...
n, Pamphylia
Pamphylia
In ancient geography, Pamphylia was the region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus . It was bounded on the north by Pisidia and was therefore a country of small extent, having a coast-line of only about 75 miles with a breadth of...
n, and Hellenistic
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, Seljuk and Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
architecture and cultures. International luxury hotels, such as the Sheraton
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...
, stand along the coast above the Konyaalti
Konyaalti
Konyaaltı is a district of Antalya, Turkey. The name Konyaaltı , which means "below Konya", stems from the fact that the city of Antalya was an administrative part of the Ottoman state of Konya during the Ottoman period, and the location of the beach is where the steep cliff of the city ends.It is...
and Lara
Lara, Antalya
Lara is a district of Antalya city, Turkey. Its famous beach, Lara beach, is one of the longest sand beaches in Turkey. Lara is the home to many themed 5 to 7 star hotels, mainly in the Kundu area. Most of the hotels are replicas of famous places around the world which has led to the area being...
beaches.
Education
Akdeniz UniversityAkdeniz University
Akdeniz University is a campus university in Antalya Province of Turkey. It is the leading higher education and scientific research center of the West Mediterranean region of Turkey....
is located in Antalya.
There are a total of 12,000 teachers serving 275,000 students in the city.
Culture
Cuisine
Antalya’s signature cuisine includes PiyazPiyaz
Piyaz is a kind of Turkish salad or meze that is made from any kind of dry beans with hard-boiled egg and vegetables. Common additional ingredients include onion, parsley and sumac. In Antalya province of Turkey it is prepared differently from other regions with other ingredients like sesame oil....
(made with tahini
Tahini
Tahini or sesame paste , is a paste of ground sesame seeds used in cooking. North African, Greek and West Asian tahini is made of hulled, lightly roasted seeds. East Asian sesame paste is made of unhulled seeds. The Arabic word tahin simply means flour.Tahini is a major component of hummus and...
, garlic, walnuts, and boiled beans), spicy hibeş with mixed cumin and tahini, şiş köfte, tandır kebap, domates civesi, şakşuka, and various cold Mediterranean dishes with olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
. One local speciality is tirmis, boiled seeds of the lupin, eaten as a snack. "Grida" (also known as Lagos or Mediterrenean white grouper) is a fish common in local dishes.
Festivals and events
- A number of sports championships including motor rallies and the 2010 World Weighlifting Championships.
- Antalya Golden Orange Film FestivalAntalya Golden Orange Film FestivalThe Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival is a film festival, held annually since 1963 in Antalya, is the most important national film festival in Turkey...
: Turkey's largest national film festivalFilm festivalA film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
, last week of September - International Eurasia Film FestivalInternational Eurasia Film FestivalInternational Eurasia Film Festival was a film festival that took place annually from 2005 to 2008 in Antalya, Turkey. The festival was jointly organised by the Turkish Foundation of Cinema and Audio-visual Culture and the Antalya Foundation for Culture and Arts in conjunction with the Antalya...
: International film festival held annually - Antalya FestivalAntalya FestivalAntalya Festival is an annual festival that takes place for 18 days between 12–29 September every year in Antalya, Turkey....
: September - Mediterranean International Music FestivalMediterranean International Music FestivalThe Mediterranean International Music Festival is an annual festival that takes place every year in the last week of September in Antalya, Turkey. It attracts musicians from all over Europe....
: October, 6 days - Antalya International Folk MusicFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and Dance Festival Competition: Last week of August - Aspendos International Opera and Ballet FestivalAspendos International Opera and Ballet FestivalThe Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival has been organized by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet directorate since 1994 with international participation by opera and ballet companies from several different countries...
: June and July - Flower festival May
Main sights
Antalya has beaches including KonyaaltıKonyaalti
Konyaaltı is a district of Antalya, Turkey. The name Konyaaltı , which means "below Konya", stems from the fact that the city of Antalya was an administrative part of the Ottoman state of Konya during the Ottoman period, and the location of the beach is where the steep cliff of the city ends.It is...
, Lara
Lara, Antalya
Lara is a district of Antalya city, Turkey. Its famous beach, Lara beach, is one of the longest sand beaches in Turkey. Lara is the home to many themed 5 to 7 star hotels, mainly in the Kundu area. Most of the hotels are replicas of famous places around the world which has led to the area being...
and Karpuzkaldıran. For winter sports, Beydağları and Saklikent
Saklikent
Saklıkent is a winter resort in Turkey, 45 kilometres from Antalya and 60 kilometres from Antalya Airport. It is open for skiing from November to May. Because of its proximity to Antalya, one can ski and then one hour later swim in the Mediterranean Sea....
are both natural beauties of the city.
There are a number of mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s, churches, madrasahs, masjids, hans (caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
) and hamams (Turkish bath) in the city. Kaleiçi, the harbor, which the city walls
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
enclose, is the oldest part of the city. Kaleiçi features many historic houses with traditional Turkish and local Greek architecture
Architecture of Ancient Greece
The architecture of Ancient Greece is the architecture produced by the Greek-speaking people whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland and Peloponnesus, the Aegean Islands, and in colonies in Asia Minor and Italy for a period from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the earliest...
.
Historic sites in the city center
- KaleiciKaleiçiKaleiçi is the historic city center of Antalya, Turkey. Until modern times, almost the entire city was confined within its walls. It has structures dating from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and modern Turkish republican eras...
: the historical center of the city. - Ancient monumentAncient monumentAn ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest. In the United Kingdom it is a legal term, differing from the American term National Monument in being far more numerous and always man-made...
s include the City Walls, Hıdırlık TowerHidirlik TowerHıdırlık Tower is a landmark tower of tawny stone in Antalya, Turkey, where Kaleiçi meets Karaalioglu Park. It is believed that the ruling Roman Empire built this in the second century CE on a square plan...
, Hadrian's Gate (also known as Triple Gate), and the Clock Tower. - Hadrian's GateHadrian's GateThe Hadrian's Gate, or Hadrianus Gate, or Üçkapılar is a triumphal arch which was built in the name of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who visited Antalya in the year 130. It has three arched gates...
: constructed in the 2nd century by the Romans in honour of the Emperor HadrianHadrianHadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
. - Kesik MinareKesik MinareThe Kesik Minare standing in the streets of Kaleiçi in Turkey was originally built as a Roman temple in the 2nd century AD. In the 7th century, it was converted into a Byzantine church in honor of the Virgin Mary, but it was heavily damaged in the 8th century during the Arab invasions. In the...
(Broken Minaret): Once a Roman temple then converted to a Byzantine Panaglia church and finally into a mosque. - Yivli Minare (Fluted Minaret): Built by Seljuks and decorated with dark blue and turquoise tiles, this minaret eventually became the symbol of the city.
Museums
- Antalya MuseumAntalya MuseumThe Antalya Museum or Antalya Archeological Museum is one of Turkey's largest museums, located in Konyaaltı, Antalya. It includes 13 exhibition halls and an open air gallery. It covers an area of and has 5000 works of art are exhibited. In addition a further 25,000–30,000 artifacts which...
: Prize winning archaeology museum. - Kaleiçi Museum: Opened in 2007 by the Mediterranean Civilizations Research Center (Akdeniz Medeniyetleri Araştırma Merkezi)
- Atatürk's House MuseumAtatürk's House Museum (Antalya)Atatürk's House Museum ) is a national museum in Antalya, Turkey dedicated to the visits of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to this city.-Museum building:...
Sites of interest
- Karpuzkaldıran
- Tünek HillTünek TepeTünek Tepe is a hill in the west side of the city of Antalya. Its height is 618 m msl .On the crest is a hotel, night club, and rotating restaurant- the Döner Gazino . The club generally serves private parties, and features a view of the Gulf of Antalya and the mountains....
- Karaalioglu ParkKaraalioglu ParkKaraalioglu Park is a large park in Antalya, Turkey. It is just south of Kaleiçi in the city center, easily reached on foot or by tram. The mayor's office, Municipal city theater, and an ancient fortress called Hıdırlık Tower overlooking the Roman harbor, view of the cliffs and the broad blue...
- Arapsu BridgeArapsu BridgeThe Arapsu Bridge is a Roman bridge in Antalya, Turkey. The well-preserved footbridge lies in the Arapsuyu district, 5–6 km west to the city center, at the foot of an ancient mound which is associated with the Greek colony of Olbia....
- Konyaaltı Beach Park
- Minicity
Transportation
In 2007, the airport added a new terminal.
The city has a main port at the south of the Konyaaltı. It is planning to launch local routes to Kemer.
Buses
A local bus system serving the greater municipality is operated by a private corporation.There is a network of look-alike Dolmuş
Dolmuş
In Turkey and Turkish controlled Northern Cyprus, dolmuş are share taxis that run set routes within and between cities.Departing from the terminal only when a sufficient amount of passengers have boarded, their name is derived from Turkish for "apparently stuffed" for this reason.In some cities...
es that are privately owned and operated minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
es, run under strict municipal control.
Antalya Ulasim, a municapally-owned corporation, runs the public bus system. The corporation owns Antobus and Antray. AntObüs was started in September 2010. 40 buses arrived in June 2010. The city is planning to increase the number by 140 more buses.
Payment for public transportation was made in cash until the launch of a public transportation card, Antkart, in late 2007. The card system met with criticism and was subsequently canceled in June 2009, returning to a cash system. The municipality launched a new card system, unofficially called Halkkart, in Summer 2010.
Rail
Hadrian's Gate
The Hadrian's Gate, or Hadrianus Gate, or Üçkapılar is a triumphal arch which was built in the name of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who visited Antalya in the year 130. It has three arched gates...
, Karaalioglu Park, and ending at Talya Oteli. Trams depart on the hour and half-hour from the terminal (east and west), and reach Kalekapisi between 10 and 15 minutes later.
In December 2009, a 11.1 kilometres (6.9 mi) light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line Antray was opened from one of the main city public bus hub northwest to the Zoo and beyond to suburban areas.
Major routes
The infrastructure such as roads and drains are struggling to catch up with the increase in population and tourists.Airports
Antalya AirportAntalya Airport
Antalya Airport is northeast of the city center of Antalya, Turkey. The airport is operated in Turkey's primary holiday destination located on the country's Mediterranean coast. The airport is big and modern, built to accommodate the millions of passengers who come to Turkey's Mediterranean...
has two international terminals and one domestic terminal. In 2007, its number of passengers on international flights surpassed the total number at Istanbul Ataturk Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport
Sabiha Gökçen International Airport
Sabiha Gökçen International Airport is one of the international airports serving İstanbul, Turkey. The facility is named after Sabiha Gökçen, the first female combat pilot in the world. Located southeast of central İstanbul, it is on the Asian side of the bi-continental city...
for the first time, officially earning the title of "the capital of Turkish tourism".
Sister cities
Antalya is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bat Yam, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Cheboksary
Cheboksary
-Twin towns/sister cities:Cheboksary is twinned with: Eger in Hungary Antalya in Turkey Santa Clara in CubaAlso Partnerships are shown with: Rundu in Namibia -External links:****...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Famagusta
Famagusta
Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
Haikou
Haikou
Hǎikǒu , is the capital and most populous city of Hainan Province, in the People's Republic of China. It is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Rostov-Na-Donu, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Taldykorgan
Taldykorgan
Taldykorgan , formerly known as Taldy-Kurgan , is the administrative center of Almaty Province, Kazakhstan. It has a population of 118,400 . Most of the people are Kazakhs.-Education:...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
Notable people from Antalya
- Burak YilmazBurak YilmazBurak Yılmaz is a Turkish footballer who plays for Trabzonspor and Turkish national team.-Antalyaspor:He began to play football in Antalyaspor and he contributed heavily in the success of Antalyaspor in 2005–2006 season to have the second place in Division 1 and promote to Süper Lig, the top...
, football player - Cafercan AksuCafercan AksuCafercan Aksu, born on January 15, 1987 in Antalya, Turkey) is a Turkish football player as striker. He is currently playing for Gençlerbirliği....
, football player - Coşkun GöğenCoskun GögenCoşkun Göğen is a Turkish film and theatre actor.He started his film career in 1972 with the film Asi Gençler. His most famous role was as "Tecavüzcü Coşkun" which became of the most popular comedic characters in Turkish film history. He reprised this character on many films later due to the...
, film actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... - Deniz BaykalDeniz BaykalDeniz Baykal is a Turkish politician. He was a long-time leader of the Republican People's Party .-Biography:...
, 1992-2010 leader of Turkish Republican People's PartyRepublican People's Party (Turkey)The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
(CHP) - Deniz SekiDeniz SekiDeniz Seki is a Turkish singer. Her family is rooted from Antalya. They moved to Istanbul from Antalya.She joined TRT and met Melih Kibar. Through him she worked with Emel and Kenan Doğulu. Deniz's album Hiç kimse Değilim came out in 1997...
, pop musicPop musicPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
ian - Levent YükselLevent Yüksel- Biography :Like Sertab Erener and Aşkın Nur Yengi, Levent Yüksel is one of the singers introduced to Turkish music by Sezen Aksu. During his education in the now İstanbul University State Conservatory, Department of Contrabass, he played his bass in various nightclubs, along many singers...
, musician, composer - Michael AttaliatesMichael AttaliatesMichael Attaleiates or Attaliates was a Greek public servant and historian at Constantinople.Michael was probably a native of Attalia...
Byzantine lawyer of 11th century - Musa UzunlarMusa UzunlarMusa Uzunlar , Musa Uzunlar currently acts Reşat role in Turkish serial named Fatmagül'ün Suçu Ne?. He played a lot of different role in Turkish serials and theaters.-Theaters :*Yüzleşme*Ful Yaprakaları*Yaban*Haydutlar...
, actor - Onat Kutlar, writer
- Özgürcan ÖzcanÖzgürcan ÖzcanÖzgürcan Özcan , is a Turkish football player, who plays as a forward. He is currently playing for Karşıyaka.-Early career:...
, football player - Rüştü ReçberRüstü ReçberRüştü Reçber is a Turkish international footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Beşiktaş J.K. in the Turkish Süper Lig.He has played a key role in the success of the Turkish national squad, and it was at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where Turkey finished third, that he earned a selection to...
, football player - Sümer TilmaçSümer TilmaçSümer Tilmaç is a Turkish actor. He started his theatre and film acting career in 1962 and took part in many theater plays. He acted in various films and television series. He also worked in Antalya State Theatre for three years....
, actor - Tarık AkıltopuTarik AkiltopuTarık Akıltopu was Antalya's first architect of the 20th century. He was also a poet and a writer and known as a "Antalya lover". He wrote many books and poems about the city and its history. He died in February 2004 from a heart attack.-References:...
, architect, historian, poet, writer - Yağmur SarıgülYagmur SarigülYağmur Sarıgül is a Turkish songwriter and the electric guitarist of the rock band maNga. He writes both lyrics and music.Yağmur “yamyam” Sarıgül was born in Antalya, Turkey on August 26th 1979 but grew up, caused chaos and discovered music in Ankara...
, musician, composer of maNgaMaNgaManga is a Turkish nu metal band whose music is mainly a fusion of Anatolian melodies with electronic elements. In 2009, they won both the Best Turkish Act award from MTV Turkey and consequently the Best European Act award from MTV Networks Europe in MTV Europe Music Awards 2009...
External links
- WikiSatellite view of Antalya, WikiMapiaWikimapiaWikiMapia is a privately owned, online map and satellite imaging resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information, in the form of a note, to any location on Earth. Users may currently use this information for free...
- Weather forecast, Turkish Meteorology Service