Antalya

Also known as the Turkish Riviera Antalya, where the pine-clad Toros (Taurus) Mountains sweep down to the sparkling clear sea, is the tourism capital of Turkey. The region, bathed in sunshine for 300 days of the year, is a paradise for sunbathing, swimming, and sports activities like windsurfing, waterskiing, sailing, mountain climbing and spelunking. If you come to Antalya in March or April, you can ski in the mornings and in the afternoons swim in the warm waters of the Mediterranean.

HISTORY AND CULTURE

Antalya has been continuously inhabited since its founding in 159 BC by Attalos II, a king of Pergamum, who named the city Attalefa after himself. When Emperor Hadrian visited Phaselis in Antalya in 130 AD a beautifully decorated three-arched gate with Corinthian columns was built into the city walls in his honour. It was the only entrance through the city walls.

The fortifications of the Kaleiçi district are the common heritage of the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans. The elegant, fluted minaret of the Yivli Minare Mosque in the centre of the city, built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in the 13th century, has become Antalya's symbol. The two most important Ottoman mosques in the city are the 16th century Murat Paşa Mosque, remarkable for its tile decoration, and the 18th century Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Mosque. Since 1972, the inner harbour and Kaleiçi have been under preservation for their historical and cultural significance.