History of Antalya
Historical evidence shows that Antalya Province has been home to numerous civilizations throughout ages. First human habitation dating back over 200 000 years has been unearthed in the Carain caves 30 km due north of Antalya city. Other findings dating back to Neolithic times and more recent periods show that the area has been populated by various ancient civilizations throughout the ages.
Records from the Hittite period (when the first recorded political union of Anatolian cities was set up calling itself the Lycian league) refer to the area as the Lands of Arzarwa and document the lively interaction going on between the provinces in 1700 BC.
Historical records document how cities developed independently, how the area as a whole was called Pamphilia and how a federation of cities was set up in the province. There is also a record of the migration of the Akha Clan to the area after the Trojan war.
The reign of the Kingdom of Lydia in the west Anatolia came to an end in 560 BC after the Persians defeated it during the battle of Sardis in 546 BC.
From 334 BC until his death, Alexander the Great conquered the cities of the area one by one - leaving out Termessos and Silion- and so continued the sovereignty of the Persians.
With the defeat of the Seleucid army at Apamaea began the reign of the Kingdom of Pergamon. In 150 BC Attalos the 2nd, king of Pergamon, founded the city of Attalaia (todays Antalya) to base his powerful naval fleet.
When Attalos the 3rd, the last king of Pergamon, died in 133 BC he left his kingdom to the Romans. The Roman and subsequent Byzantine Empires ruled the area for the next 13 centuries.
Ottoman rule began in 1391. The brief occupation of the area by the Italians came to an abrupt end after the First World War with the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923. The area is now registered as a province of the Republic of Turkey.
Antalya is well known in the world of tour and excursion business, especially those who wish to enjoy sandy beaches, hot sun and unrivalled treasures of antique sites and landscape, all in one resort. Antalya may serve a good base to get to other interesting sites, such as Olympos Antique City (Chimaera- Cirali), Myra (Demre), St Nicholas Church River Rafting, Boat Trip, Antique City Phaselis, Roman Theatre and Bath, Perge antique city, Antique Theatre Aspendos, Waterfalls, Antalya Archeological Museum, Termessos, Sakli Kent, Kemer, Antique City Side, including Lycian world. map of location
The old town Kaleici displays an interesting setting with its narrow, cobble-stone roads, Roman Harbor, Seljuk and Ottoman buildings and mosques and walls, inns and boutique hotels and pensions or restaurants. Along the Turquoise Mediterranean Coasts lies sandy public beaches, Konyaalti Plaji, Lara Plaji and others running east and west. The nature has been very generous with Antalya. It is situated on a steep cliff facing mediterranean and surrounded by pine covered mountains, Bey daglari reaching upto 2000 meters elevations.
Antalya is a rapidly growing city with a populace of 1.8 million (2007 census). Being an important tourist destination, the city populace may go up to over two million in summers at the height of tourist season.
Getting to Antalya has become very easy with regular flights from the most world airports also from within Turkey. There are regular bus services operating from almost all all main cities. The airport is about 10 km from city center on the east side while the main bus terminal to the north and is about 4 km.
Bey Daglari, Mountains overlooking Antalya
