WHAT'S IN ANTALYA
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THE CITY WHERE THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES

HISTORY OF ANTALYA

2,000 years ago, so the legend goes, Attalos 2, King of Bergama, ordered his troops on a mission. Their mission was to find a paradise on earth, a place filled with immense beauty and serenity where Attalos 2 could establish a new city. Attalos 2 wanted the troops to find a place other Kings and their empires would envy. The troops King Attalos 2 sent out knew they had a difficult and long journey ahead of them, they dreaded that this was an almost impossible mission. Then one day, while walking through the mountains, the troops came upon a sight -- what they saw amidst a beautiful sunset was an ocean land unparalleled to none other. The troops eyes looked on in disbelief and their souls were immediately captivated and enticed by what they saw. The troops, elated with their findings, returned to inform the King of their news. They told King Attalos 2 that they had succeeded with his request and found this paradise on earth. The King wished to see this paradise on earth and traveled their himself with the rest of his army. Upon first sight, the King was elated with his troops and their findings -- agreeing that they had at last found this paradise on earth. The town they began to build was called "Attaleia" at first, named after the King himself, and throughout time, the town's name changed from "Stelai", "Satalya", "Adalya", and finally to its present name, "Antalya".
In 133 B.C., Antalya together with Bergama's other possessions in Asia Minor, was taken over by Rome. St. Paul, on his first missionary journey, set sail from Antalya with Barnabas. In 130 A.D., Roman Emperor Hadrian visited the city and a victory arch was constructed in his honor.
Coming closer to the present, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Modern Turkey described Antalya as 'the most beautiful place in the world'. Today Antalya is part of Turkey's "Gold Coast", an exquisite coastline of sun, sea and history.


Lara Beach (Antalya's famous beach)

WHY PEOPLE LOVE ANTALYA

To begin with, Antalya (if not Turkey all together), is relatively inexpensive. Therefore,
travelers can travel for longer periods of time, and more importantly, for much less money than other places. Secondly, "Old City" Antalya (where Sabah Pansiyon is located) is preserved from the outskirts of the thriving metropolis, making it an ideal get away from the buzz of a big city. There is an international airport located in Antalya as well as many bus stations, making it easy to travel to other cities around Turkey. "Old City" Antalya is within walking distance to other places such as shopping centers, parks, the beach and historical landmarks. Perhaps more importantly, travelers may consider staying longer in Antalya because the city epitomizes the hospitality Turkish people are known for. Extending your stay is an opportunity for you to become acquainted with Turkey's rich culture and history that dates as far back as to the Byzantine empire. Lastly, without a doubt, the climate in Antalya makes it ideal for travelers. Antalya enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and sunny warm winters.
 

WHAT TO DO IN ANTALYA

There is an abundance, an almost endless array of things to do while you stay in Antalya...it is never boring. Nestled right along the Mediterranean Sea, Antalya has beautiful, clean oceans to swim or sunbathe in. And if city life becomes too much for you, there are plenty of alternatives, including a thriving night life. One could go rafting, or hire a bike or a motorcycle and just take to the hills. In season, one could go skiing at Saklikent. Or Scuba Diving. Or horse riding at a number of well-equipped centers.
Antalya has a Museum (the Antalya Museum) with historical artifacts from the Paleolithic to Ottoman times. There is also a State Theatre, a State Symphony Orchestra, and, even a State Opera and Ballet Company. There is the Antalya Culture Center, which offers a splendid range of events almost throughout the year. Finally, Antalya has Film, Video and Song Festivals at different times throughout the year. There are many, many art galleries, including ANSAN and the State Fine Arts Gallery. Then of course, are Antalya's historical city landmarks, including the Fluted Minaret, the Clock Tower, and the Karain Cave, where remains of human settlement have been dated back to 50,000 years.
Perhaps some of the most important sites to consider seeing while visiting Antalya are those of Termessos, Perge, Aspendos and Phaselis. Termessos is one of Turkey's prime attractions. In 133 B.C., Alexander the Great attempted to attack Termessos and was unsuccessful because of its mountainous terrain which made battle difficult. Termessos is enclosed within the boundaries of a Turkish National Park (Gulluk Dag Milli Parki), making it one the most well preserved ancient ruins in Turkey and a hiker's paradise. The ancient ruins of Perge are one of the better preserved archeological sites in Turkey as well. Unlike all the other ancient cities near the area, Perge was constructed inland but had a connection via river to sea. This is because the city was to be protected from sea attacks by pirates. The theater which was built in 1000 B.C. in the Greek Roman style, holds up to 14,000 spectators. The stadium, the second largest building in Perge, holds up to 12,000 spectators. Aspendos has the best preserved ancient theater in Turkey. It was founded by colonists who came from Argos under the leadership of Mopsos. Currently, the theater in Aspendos offers ballets, concerts, operas and song festivals, with the acoustics in the theater adding to the already amazing ancient theater. Phaselis is set right by the blue waters of the Mediterranean and is scenically one of the most beautiful ruined sites of the Turkish Mediterranean Coast. Founders of the city are believed to be colonists from Rhodes. The city had 3 harbors of which the southern one was the largest and the northern one had the largest anchorage area. At the northern harbor is the gate of Hadrian, built in the honor of Emperor Hadrian during his visit to the city. The south and the north harbors are connected by a marble street on which there is a small size theater.
Lastly, Antalya offers a number of activities relevant to most travelers. There are endless traditional Turkish restaraunts, an array of shopping opportunities, including a daily Bazaar, traditional Turkish hamam's, English cinemas, internet Cafe's, book shops, boat and yacht tours, billiards, bowling halls, water parks and daily village tours. Again, there is an abundance and rich assortment of what to do while in Antalya, making it impossible to become bored at any time during your stay here.