05-Antalya
Tiptoptrips.com is a part of Arbektravel. Daily Tours and Airport Transfer provider. ANTALYA AREA; Antalya (formerly known as Adalia; from Pamphylian Greek: Αττάλεια Attália) is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It is the capital city of Antalya Province. The population of the city is 775.157 (2007 census). The population of Antalya is 798.507 (2008 estimate).
The city of Antalya corresponds to the lands of ancient Pamphylia to the east and Lycia to the west. Antalya has a hot climate.
Situated on a cliff over the Mediterranean, Antalya is surrounded by mountains. Atatürk claimed that without doubt Antalya is the most beautiful place in the world.
Developments in tourism, starting in the 1970’s, transformed the city into an international resort.
Climate
Since the area is closed to the cold northerly winds, it is characterized by the typical Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and moderately warm and rainy winters. Around 300 days of the year are sunny, the sea temperature never goes below 15°C and in summer is around 29°C. The temperature climbs up to 45°C in July and August. The sea breeze and the northeasterly winds blowing from inland relieve the area under this temperature.
Tourism
Places to visit in the city include sites with traces of Lycian,Pamphylian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman architecture and cultures.
Kaleiçi, with its narrow cobbled streets of historic Turkish and Greek houses is the old center of Antalya, now mainly hotels, gift shops, and bars. New hotels such as the Sheraton are along the coast above the Konyaalti and Lara beaches.
The tourism boom has brought migrant labour to the city, fueled the growth of a large construction industry and provided transportation and other large-scale infrastructure which has led to Antalya becoming the hub of commerce in this part of Turkey.
In summer tourists include Turkish, British, Israelis, Arabs Germans and Russians.
Cuisine
Antalya’s most famous include Piyaz, made with tahini (crushed sesame seeds), garlic, walnuts and boiled dried beans, spicy hibeş with mixed cumin and tahini, şiş köfte, tandır kebap, domates civesi, şakşuka and various cold Mediterranean dishes with olive oil. One local speciality is tirmis, boiled seeds of the lupin, eaten as a snack.
Historic Sites in the city center
* Kaleici: the historical center of the city; now restored as the touristic centre of the city with its hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants, and shopping. Kaleici retains much of its historical character and the restoration won the Golden Apple Prize, the Oscar of tourism.
* Ancient monuments include the City Walls, Hıdırlık Tower, Hadrian’s Gate and the Clock Tower.
* Antalya Museum: Prize winning archaeology museum.
* Kaleiçi Museum: Opened in 2007 by the Mediterranean Civilizations Research Center (Akdeniz Medeniyetleri Araştırma Merkezi) see also their annual journal.
* Hadrian’s Gate: constructed in 2nd century BC by the Romans in honour of the Emperor Hadrian.
* Kesik Minare (Broken Minaret): Once a Byzantine Panaglia church, later converted into a mosque.
* Yivli Minare (Fluted Minaret): It was built by the Seljuks. Decorated with dark blue and turquoise tiles, the minaret eventually became the symbol of the city.
* Karatay Medresesi, Ahi Yusuf Mescidi, Iskele Mosque, Murat Paşa Mosque, Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Mosque, Balibey Mosque, Musellim Mosque, Seyh Sinan Efendi Mosque and Osman Efendi Mosque are other Islamic buildings in the city.
* “Han”s are Seljuk or Ottoman inns which have architectural significance. Examples in Antalya include Evdir Han, Kırkoz Han, Alara Han and Castle and Sarapsu (Serapsu) Han.
Historic sites
* Aspendos: A Pamphylian city, 50 km (31 mi) from Antalya city on the Antalya-Alanya highway.
* Termessos: A Pisidian city situated high on a mountain with remnants of an agora, theatre and an odion. It has a reputation of being the most magnificent necropolis on the Mediterranean, 35 km (22 mi) northwest of Antalya.
* Ariassos: 48 km (30 mi). along the Antalya-Burdur highway and before arriving at the village of Dag turn left and Ariassos is 1 km (1 mi). further on. A city of antiquity, Ariassos was built in a valley and could survey its surroundings. The gate, the baths, the rock tombs and the mausoleum are almost intact.
* Perge: 18 km (11 mi) northeast of Antalya. The ruins are spread on two hills, the theatre on one and the acropolis on the other. According to the legend the city was built by three heroes from Troy.
* Olympos / Cirali areas; Two small rural villages located just over 80 km southwest from Antalya and boasts a beautiful 3.5 km secluded beach, the ruins of Olympos, the flames of the Chimaera / Yanartaş, as well as being a protected area by the WWF for the nesting of the Caretta Caretta or also known as the Loggerhead Sea Turtles.
* Phaselis is an ancient Lycian city in the province of Antalya in Turkey. It is located between the Bey Mountains and the forests of Olympos National Park, 16 km west of the touristic town of Kemer and on the 57th kilometre of the Antalya-Kumluca highway. Phaselis and other ancient towns around the shore can also be accessed from the sea by daily yacht tours.
Airports
In 2007, Antalya Airport’s number of passengers on international flights surpassed the total number at Istanbul Ataturk Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport for the first time, officially earning the title of “the capital of Turkish tourism”
Lara Beach lies roughly 12 km to the east. Lara beach has a blue flag. The beach begins east of Antalya's cliffs, just past the Lower Duden Waterfall and east of the waterfall a point of land extends into the Gulf of Antalya. Restaurants, hotels and other services host visitors who swim mostly from platforms and docks. The real sandy beach starts on the east side of the point and extends for several kilometers. Most parts of the beach are backed by commercial services offering sun umbrellas, beach chairs, snacks and drinks, showers and perhaps even some entertainment.
The resort of Konyaalti lies on the coastline known as the Turkish Riviera, around 10 kilometres to the west of the main tourist resort of Antalya. Konyaalti is a small beachside resort with a Blue Flag-awarded pebble beach and deliciously clear water that's ideal for swimming and for kids to paddle in. There's a good choice of water sports available from Konyaalti beach including windsurfing, diving and snorkelling.
The resort is picturesque with cafés, restaurants and plenty of shady trees strung along the waterfront. It is the perfect place for a relaxing holiday and it benefits from stunning views of both the Mediterranean Sea and the Taurus Mountains. The resort is ideally placed to explore Antalya with its fascinating old town and charming harbour. Nearby attractions include the ancient ruins of Perge and Termessos, as well as plenty of museums, shops and bazaars in Antalya itself.
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