Don't leave without;
- Visiting the Antalya Museum
- Walking up the gorge at Saklikent
- Seeing the ruins at Perge and Thermessos
- Walking through Kaleici and the old houses of Antalya
- Taking pictures of the snowdrops in Akseki
- Buying a Dosemalti carpet
- Tasting the local jams and jellies

GENERAL INFORMATION
Antalya, located in an area called Pamphylia, was founded by Attalus II, King of Pergamum, as a port city in the 2C BC. The name of the city, Antalya is derived from its founder’s name.

Antalya had been a small city until very recently. Tourism has made Antalya one of the largest beautiful spots. Parallel to increasing tourism in the city, the population grows very fast these days.

Kaleici, which means "inner castle" in Turkish, has tourism to thank for its survival. Careful conversion of old houses into dwellings or pensions has subsequently maintained the original appearance of these fine buildings. Modern houses are not permitted. The walls of Antalya were built in the Hellenistic period but later restored and enlarged in the Roman and Byzantine periods. The impressive Roman structure of Hadrian’s Gate was built by citizens of Antalya to commemorate the visit of the Emperor Hadrian in 130 AD. Located in Ataturk Street, it was made of marble and originally had two stories. It has three arched entranceways separated by piers with Corinthian columns in front of each. The gate is flanked by two 2C BC towers. After entering through Hadrian’s Gate, a little further away in the old town center is the ruin of a mosque, Kesik Minare (Truncated Minaret). This building was originally a Roman temple which in the 5C AD was converted into a Byzantine church and finally in the 13C made into a mosque. The Hidirlik Kulesi, a 2C AD round tower, is thought to have been the burial place of a local dignitary. The Yivli Minare (The Fluted Minaret) which became the symbol of Antalya, is part of a 13C Seljuk period medrese and mosque complex.

Except for these few places in the center of the city and the Archeological Museum on the western edge of town, there is not much to see in the city. It must be noted that the Archeological Museum is one of the top five in the country, and not to be missed.

Set in a scenery of sharp contrasts, Turkey's principal holiday resort centre of Antalya is an attractive city with shady palm lined boulevards and a prize-winning marina. In the picturesque old quarter of Kaleici, narrow, winding streets and old wooden houses abut the ancient city walls. Since its founding in the second century B.C., Antalya has been continuously inhabited. The Romans, Byzantines and Seljuks successively occupied the city before it came under Ottoman rule. At Antalya, the pine clad Toros (Taurus) Mountains sweep down to the sparkling clear sea forming an irregular coastline of rocky headlands and secluded covers. The region, bathed in sunshine 300 days of the year, is a paradise of sun-bathing, swimming and sports activities like windsurfing, water skiing, sailing, mountain climbing and hunting. If you come to Antalya in March or April, in the mornings you can ski the slopes and in the afternoons swim in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. Important historical sites await your discovery amid a landscape of pine forests, olive and citrus groves, and palm, avocado and banana plantations. The Turquoise Coast is the tourism capital of Turkey. Its full range of accommodations, sunny climate, variety of excursions and activities, and its warm hospitality make it a sought-after venue for meetings and conferences. A Culture, Exhibition and Congress Centre was opened in 1996 in the Konyaalti Quarter. The Congress hall itself is in a glass pyramid.