About Antalya

Antalya is an attractive city, with shady, palm-lined boulevards, prize-winning marina and a picturesque old quarter called Kaleiçi which has narrow, winding streets and quaint, old, wooden houses next to the city walls. This region is one of Turkey's most beautiful, with year round favourable climate, stunning natural beauty and a wealth of history.

Antalya is located in the west of the Mediterranean region and South of Turkey. In ancient times the name of the region was Pamphylia which means "the land of all tribes". In the 1st century BC the Pergamum king, Attalos III, ordered his men to find the most beautiful place on earth; he wanted them to find "heaven on earth". When the Romans took over the Pergamone Kingdom, Attaleia became an outstanding Roman city which the great Roman Emperor Hadrian visited in 130 AD. Hadrian’s Gate, an arch that was built in his honour, is worth seeing. After the Seljuk Turks took over the city and gave it a different name, Adalya, they built the Yivli Minaret. The Ottomans followed the Seljuks and finally in the Turkish Republic, Antalya became a Turkish city and an important port centre.

You can visit the Antalya Archaeological Museum, which won the "Museum Of The Year" award in 1997. There are also many ancient sites from different periods, most famously Aspendos and Perge. The natural sites including 3 waterfalls; Kurşunlu, , and many beautiful parks. Mountain scenery gives way to sparkling Mediterranean waters, stunning clifftops and caves.

Alexander the Great, the Romans, Byzantines and the Ottomans have all left their mark on this city and much can still be seen today in the old quarter of Kaleiçi. The city's two main beaches are on either side of Antalya; Konyaalti Beach on the west and Lara Beach which lies to the east. Antalya is full of exciting cultural activities and entertainment possibilities. The annual Altın Portakal Film Festival is held in the autumn. The Aspendos Open Air Theater is a wonderful place to see international opera, ballet and symphony orchestras. For a panoramic view of the area there is a holiday complex and revolving restaurant, 15 km from Antalya, on top of Tünektepe Hill. You can ski at Saklıkent, just 50 km away from the city centre, where they usually have snow on the slopes until early April. Antalya has a large number of 5 stars hotels, many of which have meeting facilities. Together with the Pyramid Congress Centre, which can hold up to 3000 delegates, make Antalya a popular center for conferences.