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Because of the archeological and natural riches of the
area, Antalya is called the Turkish Riviera. The sea and sun, nature and
history all come together in magical harmony here where the best and
cleanest beaches on the Mediterranean are found. The 630 km shoreline of
the province is literally strewn with ancient cities and harbors,
memorial tombs and golden beaches and it is laced with charming little
coves, lush forests and streams.
With its palm-lined
boulevards, its internationally acclaimed marina and the charming castle
with its traditional architecture set amidst the bustle of a modern city,
Antalya is center of tourism in Turkey. Antalya hosts are wide range of
sporting events: International Beach Volleyball, the Triathlon, Golf
Tournaments, Archery, Tennis, Canoeing competitions and many more. The
Cultural Center of Antalya, which opened in 1995 host cultural and art
events like plastic art, music, theater and a number of exhibitions.
PERGE
Situated 18 km east of Antalya, Perge is in the city
limits of Aksu Bucağı. Because of its location on the Cilicia - Pisidia
road, its was a vital part of the province of Pamphylia. It was founded
about the same time as the other cities of Pamphylia (7th century BC).
It was an important city for Christians of Perge who had worshipped the
mother goddess Artemis. St. Paul and Barnabas visited the city and
wealthy benefactors like Magna Plancia had a number of important
memorials built here.
The
first excavations were begun in 1946 by Istanbul University and the
following are the more important discoveries.
Theater:
Consisting of 3 main parts: the cavea, orchestra and stage, it held
12,000 spectators. There are 19 rows of seats on the lower section and
23 on the top section. The stage is 52 meters long.
Stadium:
It measure 34 x 34 m. There are 13 rows of seats on top of the vaults.
The eastern and western sides have 30 vaults each and the northern side
has 10. For every 3 vaults there is an entrance to the stadium. The
other two were used as shops.
Agora:
The commercial and political center of the city. There were shops all
around the central courtyard. Some of these have mosaics on the floor.
The agora measured 76 X 76 m. and has a circular structure in the center
with a diameter of 13.40 meters.
Column-lined
Boulevard: It lies between the
Hellenistic Gate and the nympheum on the slopes of the acropolis. On
both sides of the street are porticos, some up to 5 meters high and
behind these are shops. The street is 20 meters wide. The 2 m wide water
canal in the middle of the street divides it into two.
Other structures include
the necropolis, city walls, gymnasium, Roman Baths, memorial fountain
and the Greek and Roman gates.
TERMESSOS
Termessus was
founded by the Solymi people from the interior of Anatolia. Among the
important remains are the 4200-seat theater and the Roman stele that
Augustus had built at the beginning of the first century AD. The covered
meeting hall, Odeon, has seating for 600 people. The five inter-connecting
underground cisterns were used for the storage of water and olive oil.
Other important remains are the Agora, with its western
side open and the other sides lined with columns, the heroic memorial of
Hereon on top of a 6 m high platform, the Corinthian-style temple, the
Temple of Zeus, the Lesser and Greater Temples of Artemis, the gymnasium
and the watch towers. Beside a large number of lesser artifacts and more
than 1200 rock tombs.
OLYMPOS
It lies between
Kemer and Adrasan . On Antalya-Kumluca road after passing Phaselis, a
signboard directs you to Olympos. Çıralı is an ancient harbour village
nearby Olympos.The town,the history of which dates back to 2 B.C, was
emptied in 6th century.Well-known battle of Bellerophontres-Chimera
occured there. After Çıralı a walk rotating from a river basin towards a
narrow path leads you to the unique beauty of Chimera. Chimera is known
by the people as "Yanartaş(Burning Stone)" due to the everlasting light
of the burning natural gas coming up from the mountain.
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