- Sagalassos:
Sagalassos is one of the best preserved ancient cities in Turkey. It is located just 7 km north of Ağlasun. Today, those who visit Sagalassos, in the city’s upper Agora (Square), a monumental fountain that has been restored and Cascades the waters, is about 13m. at its height, honorary columns can see the remains of two arched gates and structures surrounding the Agora. The ancient city also contains a huge Roman bath, a library, a small fountain flowing from the water fountain, an urban mansion, a 9,000-seat theatre and many other works that describe the thousand-year history of the city. The finds and world-famous sculptures recovered during the excavations are exhibited in the Burdur Museum.
- Perge:
In the twelfth century BC, there was a large wave of Greek migration from northern Anatolia (in modern day Turkey) to the Mediterranean coast. Many settled in the area immediately east of the area of modern-day Antalya, which came to be known as Pamphylia, meaning “land of the tribes”. Four great cities eventually rose to promincence in Pamphylia: Perga, Sillyon, Aspendos and Side.
Invaded by Alexander the Great, much of Perge`s architectural splendor is a living proof of the Hellenistic period. It was soon followed by a prosperous Roman Imperial period for the first three centuries A.D. With the arrival and spread of Christianity, Perge played an important and active role in its expansion. A slow disintegration of the Roman rule soon followed and the Byzantines occupied Perge. With the end of the Seljuk rule, which followed soon after, Perge was completely ruined and was soon abandoned.
Perga is today an archaeological site and a major tourist attraction.
- Aspendos:
A stark comparison from the modernity of the Antalya city center is the Ancient City of Aspendos, found 25 miles to the east.
Records hold that Aspendos’ history goes back as far as 1000 BC and flourishing in the 5th century BC, where it became a center of trade and industry with its abundance of oil, wool, and salt.
As with all ancient towns, the ruins are the biggest attraction in Antalya, with most of them being well restored, and perfect for historical and archaeological tours. However, the theater is extremely impressive. It is the most well preserved Roman Theater outside of Italy (it may even be the best-preserved antique theater in the world).
What makes the Roman Theater in Antalya so magnificent is its spellbinding height of 315 feet. The theater is so massive that tourists visiting feel engulfed by its splendour. You will also find remains of ancient basilicas, Roman aqueducts and other splendid architecture.
Every year, the Aspendos theatre is home to an International Opera and Ballet Festival. What a marvellous location to highlight art!
- Düden:
The peaceful sounds of the water splashing against the rocks at Duden Waterfall are just one of the everyday luxuries you experience in Antalya. To enjoy a cool day in Antalya and also see a wonder of nature one should go to the Dudenbasi. The waterfall and picnicking area around it attract both people from Antalya and guests from outside.
The word Duden means a hole that swallows water sources. Some of these potholes can be so big that they can engulf a whole river and lake. Starting at Dudenbasi the Duden stream diverges into many rivulets that finally flow into the Mediterranean from the eastern side of a more than 40 m high travertine forming a waterfall. Dudenbasi is not simply a waterfall. The cave you enter via a narrow staircase and the verdant environment will impress you.
- Yivli Minare:
Antalya Ulu Camii (Antalya Grand Mosque), also called Yivli Minare Camii (Yivli-Fluted- Minaret Mosque), is a historical mosque in Antalya. It is part of a külliye (complex of structures) which includes the Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev Medrese, Selcuk and Dervish lodge, and the vaults of Zincirkıran and Nigar Hatun. The mosque’s fluted minaret called the Yivli 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 for the second time in 1373. The minaret is 38 metres (125 ft) high, built on a square stone base, with eight fluted sections and has 90 steps to the top. The first building (1230) was built around 1225-7, during the reign of the Selcuk 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.
- Kaleici:
Start your visit to Antalya in the historical city centre, which takes in Hadrian’s Gate, Hidirlik Tower, Yivli Minaret, Kesik Minaret, and Kaleici with its narrow streets and historical houses and the ancient port. All are within an area of one square kilometer. You can cover all this on foot, which is a good thing as cars are banned on certain streets.
Kaleici can be visited at all hours of the day but the best time is towards evening. Many of the historical houses and mansions of Kaleici have been restored and a large number of them are being used as hotels, pensions, bars and shops.
Antalya is not a city with just sun, sea and sand. Antalya’s old city, Kaleici has everything you want in the perfect seaside town, offers great things to do for everyone.
- Side:
With its history dating back to the 6th century B.C., Side brags of one of the earliest settlements of the Anatolia region. Side (means pomegranate), due to its situational advantage served as an important harbor during the Hittite period and hence was a significant commercial town. Side large merchant fleets carried on business with the eastern and western Mediterranean countries. Earlier, the region served as a slave market, which traded in African slaves and as a hideout for pirates! This is because its long sandy beaches were perfect hideouts for pirates and slave traders. However, later it also flourished as a legitimate commercial center. Culturally too, the region was quite progressive and till date the ancient amphitheater, the temples of Gods and Goddesses, the Roman baths and various archeological finds bear the proof of that.
