Things to do in Antalya

Antalya is a quaint mixture of the new and the old, merging together and conjuring up a few surprises. The city offers modern, stylish buildings and a fabulous night-life, and at the same time, there are archaeological ruins to explore, dating back hundreds of years. Whatever it is you desire in a holiday, be it the sea, sun and surf, going back in time to visit history or enjoying nature, you will find it at Antalya.

Harbour Area, Kaleici (Old City)

The Romans built a wall around the town to guard the harbour and the city from invasion. Today, visitors will enjoy exploring the old city, where remains of the ancient wall that dates back to 3 AD can still be seen. The picturesque area has many narrow streets, quaint shops in restored wooden Ottoman houses, bars, cafs and restaurants. Many of the restored Ottoman houses have also been converted into hotels and restaurants. There are also lovely tea gardens under shady trees, where visitors can enjoy a light snack and marvel at the wonderful views.

Truncated Minaret

The history behind this minaret is as intriguing as it's beauty. The building on which the minaret stands was built in 2 AD. During the Byzantine period, the temple was converted into a church. When the Ottomans invaded and conquered Antalya, they converted the church into a mosque and added the minaret in the 14th century. Part of the minaret was destroyed in an earthquake, but despite that, the beauty of the minaret can still be appreciated.

The Fluted Minaret

The 38 mere high minaret was built as part of a mosque commissioned by the Seljuk Sultan Aladdin Keyykubad in the 13th century. The design and engineering behind the construction of the minaret, which is supported by a square stone platform dais, is remarkable.

Hadrians Gate

The triumphal triple-arched gate has stood the test of time, as it is still well preserved compared to many other structures of this period. The arch was built in 130 AD as a dedication to honour the visit of Emperor Hadrian to the city.

Antalya Archaeological Museum

The museum is nestled beside five-star hotels in an expensive part the city. The museum exhibits many ancient items that were all discovered within the region. These include prehistoric stone implements and statues of gods, Roman sculptures, ancient Roman and Greek coins and ethnographic artefacts from the Ottoman era.

Phaselis Ruins

This ancient city was built in the 6th century and is quite extraordinary. The city sits between two coves on a tiny peninsula. Between the two coves are the scattered ruins of the city. The area is shaded by pine trees and it is quite meditative to stand here and imagine the glorious past of this city.

Beaches

Antalya has a sandy public beach, Beach Konyaalti, which is usually quite crowded. However, many of the hotels built along the coast have private beaches that are somewhat less packed. Phaselis, Olympos and Kemer have picturesque cove beaches. The soft sandy beaches at Patara are very beautiful and they stretch for miles along the Mediterranean coast. It is also an enchanting beach, as to get to it you will have to walk through some ancient ruins. There are also beaches at Bedibi, Tekirova and in many of the surrounding areas.