What is the special feature of this resort , so to speak ? Antalya (Turkey) caters to all categories of tourists. Lovers of ancient and medieval history, as well as lovers of the spirit of the modern metropolis, will find many interesting things for themselves. Here you can enjoy the Turkish identity and at the same time feel in a real European city. It is good here to relax noisy youth, couples with children and the elderly. It is easy to find accommodation in Antalya: there are countless hotels in the city, from modest hostels to hotels for VIP clients.
This metropolis is not in vain called the capital of the Turkish Riviera. The population of the city, in the winter numbering a million people, doubles during the tourist season. Gradually, the surrounding resorts, and even quite distant, like Belek or Side, are drawn into the orbit of attraction of the metropolis. Therefore, this entire region of the Mediterranean is called the Anatolian coast.
History of the city
The king of Pergamon, Attal II founded in 159 BC. e. the village, which he called his name. This city on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea did not maintain independence for long. Already in 133 BC. e. Attalia was captured by the Romans. Emperor Hadrian liked this convenient port so much that he ordered his winter residence to be built in it. Since that time, the city gate, named in his honor, has been preserved.
Attalia flourished both under the Romans and Byzantium. But with the raids of the Seljuk Turks, the city lost its land connection with the capital. Bazileus John II Komnenus only military campaigns has achieved the fact that Antalya has ceased to be an enclave. But not for long. In 1207, the Seljuks conquered the Mediterranean coast of modern Turkey. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Antalya managed to visit the capital of the independent Muslim principality of Hamid. But since 1423, the city becomes part of the Ottoman Empire. After the Second World War, with a fashion for a beach holiday, Antalya gradually turns into a metropolis. However, the new does not supplant the old. A map of Antalya (Turkey) clearly shows how the historical center is separated from modern areas.
Climate
What made this area so attractive for tourists? Probably her climate. The high Taurus Mountains protect the city from cold winds from the north in winter. But for the same reason, cyclones that have arisen due to storms in the Mediterranean cannot leave and rain on the Anatolian coast.
The lion's share of precipitation falls precisely in winter, which is why some meteorologists call the local climate “almost monsoon”. But the summer is hot here. Although it rains very rarely, high relative humidity (about 65%) makes it harder to tolerate heat. But the course and nature of the day off the coast of Antalya are such that the swimming season here begins in early May and ends in November. And even in January, if someone is not scared by +18 degrees, you can plunge into the sea. Of course, Emirates and Egypt are more suitable for winter holidays, but not Turkey. Antalya, whose weather is cloudless in summer, can boast that its holiday season lasts 8-9 months. The temperature in the warm season is about +28 degrees.
Antalya (Turkey) Hotels
5 stars with the all-inclusive system is the most common offer in the more remote areas of the city - Kundu and Lara. Konyaalti, which our compatriots have chosen, also has no shortage of respectable hotels, in which all the entertainment is inside the hotel. As a rule, they all represent one or two multi-story buildings. Only a few hotels offer guests villas or bungalows.
Hotels located west of the historic center use a city beach with large white pebbles. Those that stand on the rocks have platforms for sunbathing and lowering into the water. The best hotels with their own beach are located in the Lara area - there is a sandy coast. But in the old Antalya there are a lot of small and inexpensive hotels of a city type. Some of them are located in beautiful old buildings.
Nightlife
The city of Antalya never sleeps. For restless youth, here at sunset many night clubs, discos, and bars open. The most popular, one might say, a cult place is Olympos. This disco is located on the territory of the Falez Hotel. An open-air nightclub operates at the Club 29 Hotel. And they have fun without brakes on Konyaalti beach, where you can often hear Russian speech.
On Wednesdays and weekends at the Talya Hotel you can see professional performance of belly dancing (on Fevzi Dzhakmak street). The Anatolian Aqualand turns into a water disco at night, where dances can be combined with roller-coaster rides.
Shopping
Fans of shopping are advised to walk along Ataturk-Jaddesi. On this street are the most chic shops of the city. But in other areas there is no shortage of shops with hookahs, haberdashery, jewelry and, of course, Turkish textiles of excellent quality.
In the Konyaalti area, there is a huge Migros 5M shopping center. By the way, it is close to such city attractions as Mini City and Aquarium, so you can combine a fascinating tour with shopping. In general, it is better to learn the city on your own. The so-called "Antalya tour", that is, a bus sightseeing tour, is often a hidden knocking out of money from gullible tourists. First they are taken to the “skin center”, which is a huge warehouse of haberdashery, then to a textile store, and then to a jewelry store. Only at the end of tired tourists show the Duden waterfall.
Natural attractions of Antalya
There are quite a lot of them, and they are very different. You can get to the Duden waterfalls by boat from the port. The lower cascade is already visible from the side, and the top is worth climbing. Under it there is an entrance to a spacious karst cave.
Excellent beaches are located on the small island of Reshat, not far from the coast. There are also boats from the port. The city has many shady manicured parks. At seven kilometers rises the hill of Tunektepe. At its top, in addition to the observation deck, there is a round restaurant building with panoramic windows. From there you can see, in full view, all of Antalya (Turkey). Photos of landscapes opening from the hill will be worthy of becoming a computer screensaver. And forty kilometers from the city there is a real ski run, where in winter you can famously ride along the snowy slope. Thirty kilometers from the city there are large and branched caves Karain.
Historical sights
But even more in the city of Antalya (Turkey) man-made wonders. To see them, immediately go to the Kaleichi area. This is an old town. Here are the remains of ancient walls, the gates of Hadrian, ancient Byzantine basilicas, medieval mosques, baths. On the narrow streets intertwined Roman, Greek, Seljuk and Ottoman architecture. In this area there is also a port with the usual fish market for these places. Be sure to buy and try the fish grid. It is found only on the local shores, and its taste is amazing. At your request, the seller will clean and gut the fish.
The Yivli mosque with a beautiful high minaret is considered a symbol of the city. You must also visit the towers of Khidirlyk and Kale-Kapysy, the caravanserai of Seljuk Khan, the mosques of Mehmet Pasha and Iskele. From museums we recommend visiting the Archaeological and Ethnographic. The Aquarium is also interesting, where almost all the living creatures of the Mediterranean Sea float above the tunnel for visitors.
Antalya (Turkey): how to get
The city is growing at the same rapid pace as Istanbul and Ankara. Therefore, there are many interesting modern buildings in Antalya. One of them is the Sabanci pyramid - a grandiose structure made of glass and concrete.
To make the arrival and departure of the city guests more comfortable, two international terminals were built. By the way, it is very convenient to get to the city of Antalya (Turkey) and from Istanbul by local airlines. The beautiful bus station is served by Japanese minibuses, which replaced the old dolmushi. It takes twenty minutes to get from the airport to the city.