Picture courtesy
- panoramio.com
Picture courtesy - pcwalls.net
Kaleichi; Picture courtesy - shabakati.net
Antalya is the largest city on the
western Mediterranean coast. It is quiet and wealthy city with tall buildings,
busy markets and flourished trade and commerce. Most of the visitors prefer to
stay in the old district of Kaleichi instead of high-end resorts. Kaleichi is a
large open space area of boulevards, Ottoman age houses and trinket shops. It
is an extra-ordinary place to stay in if you want to explore the city and its
neighbourhood.
The remains of Roman and pre-Roman era
are scattered around the city which have easily set in its modern clad. On your
visit to Antalya, you can travel back to the ages and get the feel of the
Turkey’s oldest and finest civilisations.
Roman origins
Hardrian’s Gate; Picture courtesy - marsnjak.com
Roman harbor; Picture courtesy - blogspot.com
Artifact of Antalya Museum ; Picture
courtesy - holylandphotos.wordpress.com
Artifact of The Antalya Museum; Picture
courtesy - incirlik.af.mil
The history of Antalya can be traced
back to 150 BC, 17 years before becoming a Roman territory. The Hardrian’s Gate
dating back to 130 AD is lined by the ruins of Roman and Byzanthine era walls
which once surrounded the city. The gate was built in the honour of Emperor
Hadrian through which he entered the city on his first visit. The disintegrated
walls of the city give you a hint of the glory of Roman Empire.
Scrambling down the hill, you will
reach the Roman harbour which was built somewhere around the mid 2nd Century.
Today, the harbour is swarmed with the Pirate-theme boats and yachts.
Antalya has played a crucial role in
some of the history’s biggest civilisations. The Antalya Museum is overwhelmed
with statues, carvings and artefacts from the Stone Age, to the Roman and
Byzantium era to the Ottoman era.
Ottoman Kaleiçi
Picture courtesy - turkeycentric.com
Picture courtesy - theroadtoankara.wordpress.com
Antalya was an Ottoman territory from
1391 till the end of World War 1 when it gave up to Italy. Most of the
Kaleici’s mansions belonging to the Ottoman era have now been transformed into
up-town hotels, as a consequence of which most of the local business are
tourist-centric. Ottoman houses are easily recognisable with their
square-shaped, wooden bay windows on the top floor and the walk on the streets
of the town provides many photogenic backgrounds.
For a decent sample of a restored
Ottoman building head to the Antalya Kültür Evi, this has an excellent stone-rock passage. The show inside
delineates scenes from day by day life under the realm, yet utilising some
really frightening mannequins.
Termessos
Picture courtesy - wikimedia.org
Picture courtesy -
The ancient city of Termessos is set
in a beautiful mountain valley which is 34km from the northwest of Antalya.
During the hot & humid Turkish summer, Termessos seems to be the last
resort. The inhabitants were neither Greek nor Lycian, instead they were the
fierce warrior of Pisidia who defeated Alexander the Great in 333 BC and became
an ally to the Romans in 70 BC. You will need two hours to admire the scale of
the ruins.
Aspendos
Picture courtesy - commondatastorage.googleapis.com
Picture courtesy - commondatastorage.googleapis.com
Fabricated amid Aspendos' golden days
in the rule of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–80), the open-air theatre at
Aspendos is viewed as the best Roman theatre of the ancient world. There are
different remains to explore here, If its possible, attempt to time your visit
with a performance at the theatre.
Perge
Picture courtesy - dailyantalyatours.com
Picture courtesy - turkeytour.net
Picture courtesy - backpackerstravel.net
The size and nature of the ruins at
Perge, proves why it was the most prominent town of ancient Pamphylia. Seeing
the remains of the town’s waterway in the centre of colonnaded street, and the
noticeable baths and shops, compels your mind to think of the prosperous life
of the town. You can touch the angelic carvings and decorated corridors to get
the essence of a once glorious civilisation.
Courtesy - TraveleZe
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