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ANTALYA
Surrounded by amazing scenery of sharp contrasts,Antalya,Turkey´s principal holiday resort, is an attractive cith with shady palm-lined boulevards and a prize-winning marina.In the picturesque old quarter of Kaleiçi,narrow, winding streets and old wooden houses about the ancient city walls.
Antalya has been continuously inhabited since its founding in159 BC by Attalos II, a king of Pergamum,who named the city Attaleia after himself.The Romans,Byzantines and Seljuks successively occupied the cith before it came under Otoman rule. The elegant,fluted, minaret of the Yivli Minareli Mosque in the center of the city,built by the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in the 13th century,has become Antalya´s symbol. The Karatay Medrese(theological college) in the Kaleiçi district ,from the same period, exemplifies the best of seljuk stone carving.The two most important Otoman mosques in the city are the 16th-century Murat Paşa Mosque. Neighboring the marina,the attractive late 19th-century İskele Mosque is built of cut stone and set on four pillars over a natural spring. The Hıdırlık Kulesi(tower)was probably constructed as a lighthouse in the second century. The Kesik Minaret Mosque, which was previously a church, attests to the city´s long history in its succession of Roman,Byzantine,Seljuk and Otoman renovations.
When Emperor Hadrian visited Phaselis in Antalya prvince in 130 AD a beautifully decorated three-arched gate with Corinthian columns was built into the city walls in his honor. It was the only entrance through the city walls. The two towers flanking the gate as well as other sections of the walls are stil standing near the marina.The clock tower in Kalekapısı Square was also parrt of the old city´s fortifications.
In the Atatürk and Karaalioğlu Parks,the colorful exotic flowers and the shimmering water in the bay with the mountains behind demonstrate why Antalya has become such a popular resort. At Aqua Park,on the eastern coast,every kind of water sport is available,including exciting water slides.
The award-winning Antalya Kaleiçi Marina and Leisure Center is considered one of the lovliest marinas in Turkey with its many souvenir shops, friendly cafes and restaurants as well as yacht moorings and services. Sail in the morning and enjoy the restful peace of the marina in the afternoon.The old city walls, lit up at night, lend and atmosphere of serenity and timelessness.
The Archeological Museum, with artifacts from the Paleolithic Age to Otoman times, offers a glimpse of the area´s rich history. Two-colored ceramics dated at 5400-8500 BC are worth seeing.The Atatürk Museum displays objects used by the founder of the Turkish Republic.(Both open weekdays except Monday)
The Antalya Altın Portakal (Golden Orange) Film and Art Festival, held in the autumn, attracts many participants and visitors. The ancient theater in Aspentos makes an impressive setting for some of the festival´s plays and concerts.Antalya also hosts annual jewery fairs.
A Culture,Exhibition and Congress Center was opened in 1996 in the Konyaaltı Quarter.The Congress hall itself is in a glass pyramid. |
