Antalya is a popular resort among our compatriots. The question of what to see in Antalya is closely connected with the history of the city. It was founded BC by the Greek king Attalus II on the shore of a bay that reminded him of his native shores. At the beginning of our era, Attalia - as our resort was then called - was captured by the Romans, followed by the warriors of the Byzantine Empire, who were periodically attacked by sea robbers. The last to settle in the region were the Seljuk Turks, who were eventually driven out by the Ottoman Turks.
Naturally, each nation that "made its mark" on the shores of the Gulf of Antalya destroyed, built and created something. Thanks to the complicated history of the polis, we have the opportunity to talk about the sights of Antalya from a variety of cultural periods - from ancient Greek to examples of modern Turkish art.
Points of concentration of most of Antalya's attractions
The easiest way to see almost all of Antalya's historical sights is to visit the local Archaeological Museum. It is located in the very center of the city, on Konyaalti Caddesi Street, so finding it will not be a problem for an active traveler. The museum's specialty is that each of its 13 halls is dedicated to a separate historical period or cultural element of the people who once lived here. The 14th hall is for children, where they can touch and test the strength of some of the exhibits.
So, we have suggested what to see in Antalya on your own, and now let's quickly run through the halls of the Archaeological Museum to make you want to see "this". For example, in the prehistoric hall there are objects from the Karain cave and reconstructions of the dwellings of the Paleolithic people who once lived on the shores of the Antalya Bay.
The antique hall contains a huge collection of cult and everyday objects of the founders of the polis. In the Hall of Gods are the statue of Hercules and the statuette of Apollo, well known to us from history textbooks, recognized as standard works of Hellenistic art. Many different material attractions of Antalya are exhibited in the Halls of Small Finds, Emperors, Burial Culture, Mosaics, Coins and Ethnography.
The museum is open until 17 p.m., every day except Monday, but we leave it in search of other places suitable for excursions around Antalya. These may be the remains of the fortress walls that once protected the city of the subjects of the Byzantine Empire from the Seljuks, the Ethnographic Museum of Kaleici Suna, representing the life of Anatolians with a demonstration of traditional rituals - brewing and serving coffee, the bride's bachelorette party and the groom's "haircut".
The series "Sacred excursions in Antalya" deserves the attention of domestic tourists. It includes an external inspection of the Yivli Minaret, considered a symbol of the city, the Murat Pasha Mosque, the Iskele Mosque and the Karatay Madrasah.
Monumental architecture right in the city is presented by the perfectly preserved Roman tower of Hidirlik and the Gate of Hadrian, erected in honor of the arrival of the emperor of the same name to the city. In addition, for individual excursions around Antalya, the territories of 6 well-kept parks located within the city with the appropriate infrastructure are suitable, as well as a visit to the place where the Duden waterfall falls into the sea. Although, it is much more pleasant to board one of the ships sailing from the port of the Old City and admire this spectacle from the sea.
The places of "military glory" of Kemal Ataturk deserve special attention in the city. This is a monument to the "father of the nation" and his house-museum. The fact is that thanks to the foundations of economic policy laid by him, the relatively closed sultanate turned into a developed secular state with unlimited tourist potential.
Roads to Antalya
How to get to Antalya? The best option is купить билет на самолет, which will land in one of two international airports. Then take a taxi, the office of which is located in each terminal, or transfer to one of the local airlines.
Today, the city, which has placed its bets on tourism, is working to improve its public transportation system, building a shipyard specializing in pleasure yachts, and trying to make Antalya as open as possible to foreign visitors.
