Natta Travel Antalya Türkiye

Antalya has been continously inhabited since it founding in 159 BC by Attallos II, a king of Pergamum, who named the city Attaleia after himself.The Romans, Byzantines and Seljuks successively occupied the city before it come under Ottoman rule. The elegant, fluted minaret of the yivli minare Mosque in the center of the city, built by the seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in the 13. century, has become Antalya's symbol.When Emperor Hadrian visited Phaselis in Antalya in 130 AD a beatyfully decorated threearched gate with Corinthian columns was built into the city walls in his honour.

What could be more appealing than dreamlike landscapes, a rich variety of flora, grand mountains, and the magnificent colors of the sea? Add to that the lively resort life with the quiet of ancient ruins and you have a perfect vacation. From Antalya there are many possibilities for day-trips

The ancient site of Sagalassos is 33 km east of Burdur and seven km south of the town of Aglasun. It was the Pisidian capital city and has ruins from Roman times that included a memorial entrance gate, colonnaded street, lower and upper agoras, temple and magnificent theater.

On the eastern side of Can Mountain, 30 km from Antalya, the Karain Cave, which dates from the Paleolithic Age, is the site of the oldest settlement in Turkey. Some of the finds in the Karain Cave date to 160,000 B.C.
The ruins of the city of Termessos are perched on a 1,050-m high plateau on the west face of Gulluk Mountain (Solymos) found in Mt. Gulluk National Park northwest of Antalya. A wild and splendid landscape surrounds the monumental traces of this city.

Perge (18 km from Antalya) was an important city of ancient Pamphylia, originally settled by the Hittites around 1500 BC. St. Paul visited this city on his first missionary journey. The theater stage has finely carved marble reliefs, and other carvings from around the city are displayed in the stadium. Amateur archeologists will want to see the handsome city gate flanked by two lofty towers, a long colonnaded road once paved with mosaics and lined with shops, a large agora, public baths and a gymnasium.

A photogenic Seljuk bridge crosses the Koprulu River from the road to Aspendos. The road continues to the Aspendos Theatre, the best preserved theater of antiquity, with seating for 15,000. Still used today, the theater's galleries, stage decorations and acoustics all testify to the architect's skill. Nearby, stand the remains of a basilica, an agora and one of the largest aqueducts in Anatolia.

Selge is particularly beautiful in the area of the Koprulu Canyon. Built at 950 m. above sea level, Selge was a Psidia mountain settlement. The best preserved building is the theater, and the city walls, the tower, the cisterns, the stadium and the necropolis are worth seeing.

Side, one of the best-known classical sites in Turkey, was an ancient harbor whose name meant pomegranate. Now a pretty resort town, its ancient ruins, two sandy beaches, numerous shops and extensive tourist accommodation attract throngs of visitors. The magnificent theater of the ancient city, built on colonnaded arches, is the largest in the whole area. Other monuments include the agora, the Temple of Apollo, which is situated near the sea, a fountain and necropolis. The extensive Roman baths, now a museum, house one of Turkey's finest archeological collections.

The Alarahan caravanserail was built by Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in 1230 on the banks of the Alara River. On the top of a nearby hill the Alara Fortress commands a view of the whole area.The large and popular resort center of Alanya lies at one end of a rocky promontory, which juts out into the Mediterranean between two long sandy beaches. A fortress repaired by the Seljuks in 1231, one of the most magnificent sights on the coast, crowns the headland. Nearly 150 towers punctuate the walls of the well- preserved, doublewalled citadel. Within the outer walls are ruins of mosques, a caravanserai and covered bazaar, and within the inner walls are a ruined cistern and a Byzantine church.

Although Alanya's history dates back to the Romans, it rose to prominence under the Seljuks, when in 1220, Alaeddin Keykubat made it his winter residence and naval base. The surviving buildings reflect the importance of the city in Seljuk times. Besides the impressive citadel, tourists should explore the unique dockyards and the octagonal Kizil Kule (Red Tower).

''Antiocheia ad cragum'' It is located at the east of Gazipaşa (Gazipasha), in a village called " South Village ( Guney Koy ) " which is 18 km away from the town. The area has taken its name from the King of Kommagene, 4th Antiochus. The ruins of the city gathered on three hills. On the first hill, from west to east, located a castle from the Middle Ages, on the second hill there is a colonnaded street, an agora, a bath, a victory arch and a church, lastly, there is a Necropolis on the third hill. The buildings of the old city dated to the Roman and Byzantium periods. At the Necropolis of the city, the monumental graves with cradle vaults and precourtyards are preserved well. The temple in the area must have been built for the God " Zeus Lamotes ".

The mountains of the Toros (Taurus) Range rise up immediately behind the coast. The entire length from Konyaalti Beach to the Kirlangic Peninsula is national preserve, the Bey Daglari (Olympos) National Park. The history of this ancient Lycian Peninsula can be traced back to the Neolithic Age to the settlements at Beldibi.

At the foot of 2375 m high Mt. Tahtali (Olympos), 15 km south of Kemer, the three harbors of Phaselis were once a major commercial center. The ruins of aqueducts, agoras, baths, a theater, Hadrian's Gate and an acropolis reveal the city's historical importance. From the south harbor, look up to Mt. Tahtali for a spectacular view. The sheltered sandy beaches make a superb playground, and the waters are calm and safe for swimmers.

The ancient city of Olympos is situated on the southern side of Mt. Tahtali Oleander and laurel bushes shade the Olympos Valley, which can be approached by land or sea. The light playing on the quiet pools of water enhance the mosaics in the bathgate possibly built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD), part of a bridge, and a Roman theater also remain from antiquity. The outer walls and towers around the bay date from the Middle Ages.

North of Olympos up from Cirali Beach is Yanartas (at a height of 300 m) where Greek mythology tells us the Lycian hero Bellerophon mounted his winged horse Pegasus and slew the fire-breathing.

Chimaera, Gas seeps from the earth and burns brightly at night at this site. The Byzantines also considered this a religious area.

Finike, an entry port west of Olympos, is surrounded by citrus trees and gardens. A sandy beach stretches to the east, and to the west are rocky bays and coves.

The ancient city of Myra, now called Demre or Kale, is 25 km west of Finike. It was inhabited as early as 500 B.C. Many splendidly carved rock tombs dating from the 4th century B.C. overlook the magnificent Roman theater. St. Nicholas, who was born in Patara, was the bishop of Myra during the 4th century, and died there in 326. Every year in December the St. Nicholas Commemoration Ceremony attracts many tourists who spend their Christmas holidays on the sunny Mediterranean coast of ancient Lycia.

Along the northern shore of Kekova Island at Apollonia, earthquakes have disturbed the land causing some of the ancient houses to sink under the clear water, thus creating a sunken city. Kalekoy Castle (Simena) offers a birds-eye view of the bays, inlets, islands and colorful yachts sailing peacefully over the glassy water.Continuing west out of Kekova, you come to Kas, a lovely spot surrounded on three sides by mountains. The friendly local fishermen are happy to run a water taxi service to take you to a favorite bay, cove or beach along the coast. The swimming and diving are excellent in the clear cool water around Kaş, which was founded in the 4th century B.C. as Antiphellos.

Along the scenic Kalkan road, Kaputas has a beautiful beach, at one end of which is the Turquoise Grotto. A little distance to the west is Kalkan, a lovely small hilltop town that overlooks a tiny bay. Its quaint, traditional, white-washed houses, shuttered windows and balconies with brilliant flowers that cascade to the streets below, make it the ultimate in a peaceful holiday town.

Once a principal harbor of ancient Lycia, Patara is now reached by following a winding mountain road before descending to the site. According to Greek mythology Apollo was born here. More concrete history reveals that this town was the birthplace of St. Nicholas. The ruins are, of course, numerous and interesting. A second century theater has been partially excavated, and there is a gate with three arches built in 100 . But Patara is also a place for beach lovers. Its 22 km of pure white sand stretches as far as the eye can see, making it a natural choice for all types of beach sports. The remoteness of this undiscovered comer makes it feel like a private paradise.

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