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Antalya
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History
See Antalya Province#History for the history of this area in antiquity
In 150 BC Attalos II, king of Pergamon, founded the city of Attalia (present day Antalya) to base his powerful naval fleet. Later Antalya became part of the Roman Republic in 133 BC when King Attalos III of Pergamum willed his kingdom to Rome at his death and the city grew and prospered in the Ancient Roman period. Christianity started to spread in the region after 2nd century. Antalya was visited by Paul of Tarsus, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14:25-26), (wherein Antalya is referred to as Attalia). St. Paul and St. Barnabas went to Antalya and sailed from there to Antioch after preaching in Pisidia and Pamphylia. The city later became a naval base for the Christian Crusades against the Muslims in the Levant and in Cyprus.
It was a major city in the Byzantine Empire. At the time of the ascension of John II Comnenus (1118) it was an isolated outpost against the Turks, accessible only by sea.. The following year, with the aid of his commander-in-chief John Axuch, John II drove the Turks from the land routes to Antalya and recconected the city with the rest of the empire.
The city, along with the whole region, was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the early 13th century. The Arabic traveler Ibn Battuta who came to the city in between 1335-1340 noted:
By the second half of the 17th century Evliya Çelebi recorded a city of narrow streets containing 3,000 houses in twenty Turkish neighbourhoods and four Greek. The town had grown beyond the city walls and the port could hold up to 200 boats.
In the 18th century, in common with most of Anatolia, its actual lord was a Dere Bey. The family of Tekke Oglu, domiciled near Perge, though reduced to submission in 1812 by Mahmud II, continued to be a rival power to the Ottoman governor till within the present generation, surviving by many years the fall of the other great Beys of Anatolia. The records of the Levant (Turkey) Company, which maintained an agency here till 1825, contain information as to the local Dere Beys.
In the 19th century the population of Antalya increased as Turks from the Caucasus and the Balkans moved into Anatolia. By 1911 it was a city of about 25,000 people, including many Christians and Jews, still living in separate quarters, round the walled mina or port. The port was served by coasting steamers of the local companies only. Antalya (then Adalia) was an extremely picturesque, but ill-built and backward place. The chief thing to see was the city wall, outside which runs a good and clean promenade and which survives to this day. The government offices and the houses of the better class were all outside the walls.
The city was briefly occupied by the Italians from the end of the First World War until the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
PopulationAntalya has a population of 775.157 (2007 census), of which 388.133 are men and 387.024 are women.
| Population |
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| Years | City | | 2008 | 798.507 | | 2007 | 775.157 | | 2000 | 603.190 | | 1990 | 378.208 | | 1985 | 258.139 | | 1970 | 95.000 | | 1965 | 72.000 | | 1960 | 51.000 | | 1955 | 36.000 | | 1950 | 28.000 | | 1945 | 26.000 | | 1940 | 25.000 | | 1935 | 23.000 | | 1927 | 17.000 |
Geography
The city of Antalya is situated by the Gulf of Antalya on the Mediterranean coast. The Taurus mountain range of southern Anatolia runs parallel to the Mediterranean in an east-west direction, resulting in the formation of narrow coastal plains, which are surrounded by mountains on three sides and open south to the Mediterranean sea. On some parts of the coast, the mountains plunge sharply into the sea, forming small natural bays and peninsulas. Antalya is situated on a plain which consists of two flat areas formed of falez rock at a height of 35 m, where the mountains recede from the shore. On the first rocky plain on the coast is the town centre and on the plain behind it, named Kepezüstü, small settlement units have been established.
Etymology In the 1st century BC, the Pergamum king Attalos II ordered his men to find "heaven on earth". After a long search all over the world, they discovered this land and said "This must be 'Heaven' " and King Attalos founded the city giving it the name "Attaleia" which later became Adalia and then Antalya.
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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| Ĝ air temperature °C | 10.6 | 11.1 | 12.8 | 16.1 | 20.6 | 27.9 | 30.6 | 29.8 | 25.0 | 20.9 | 16.4 | 12.2 |
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| max. air temperature °C | 15.0 | 15.6 | 17.8 | 21.1 | 25.6 | 30.0 | 33.9 | 33.3 | 30.6 | 26.7 | 21.7 | 16.7 |
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| max. recorded air temperature °C | 22.0 | 23.4.6 | 28.2 | 33.2 | 37.6 | 41.0 | 45.0 | 43.3 | 41.2 | 37.7 | 33.0 | 25.4 |
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| min. air temperature °C | 6.1 | 6.7 | 7.8 | 11.1 | 15.6 | 19.4 | 22.8 | 22.2 | 19.4 | 15.0 | 11.1 | 7.8 |
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| min. recorded air temperature °C | -2.0 | -4.0 | -1.6 | 1.4 | 6.7 | 11.1 | 14.8 | 15.3 | 10.6 | 4.9 | 0.8 | -1.9 |
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| Ĝ hours of sunshine | 149 | 185 | 223 | 255 | 326 | 366 | 397 | 375 | 321 | 267 | 198 | 158 |
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| Ĝ water temperature | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 19 |
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Economy
The economy of Antalya depends on a mixture of tourism, agriculture, and commerce, with some light industry. Agricultural production includes citrus fruits, cotton, cut flowers and even bananas. Antalya is a leading agriculture center of Turkey due to its suitable ecology. Antalya Metropolitan Municipalitys covered wholesale food market complex meets 65% of the fresh fruit and vegetable demand of Turkey.
IndustryThere is a military base in the city.
TourismPlaces 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.
Government The city of Antalya is managed by a governor and a city council, with one greater city and three district municipalities. Current mayor of Antalya is Menderes Türel from Ak Party.
BudgetThe budget for 2005 was YTL 210 million.
CultureCuisineAntalyas most famous include Piyaz, made with tahini (crushed sesame seeds), garlic, walnuts and boiled dried beans, spicy hibes with mixed cumin and tahini, sis köfte, tandir kebap, domates civesi, saksuka and various cold Mediterranean dishes with olive oil. One local speciality is tirmis, boiled seeds of the lupin, eaten as a snack.
Festivals and events
- Kas-Demre Festival: December
- Mediterranean Golden Orange Wrestling: Kumluca, May
Fairs - Anfas Food Product Fair February
Antalya has beaches like Konyaalti, Lara and Karpuzkaldiran. Antalya also has waterfalls such as Düden, Manavgat and Kursunlu waterfalls are major attractions for both local and foreign tourists. For winter sports, Beydaglari and Saklikent are both natural beauties of the city.
There are a large number of mosques, churches, madrasahs, masjids, hans and hamams in the city. Kaleiçi, the harbor which the city walls enclose is the oldest part of the city. In Kaleiçi, Yivli Minare, Kesik Minare and historic houses are to be found. In Kaleiçi, there is traditional Turkish architecture which strives for harmony with the nature.
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, Hidirlik Tower, Hadrian's Gate and the Clock Tower.
- Antalya Museum: Prize winning archaeology museum.
- : Opened in 2007 by the Mediterranean Civilizations Research Center (Akdeniz Medeniyetleri Arastirma Merkezi) see also .
- 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 Pasa Mosque, Tekeli Mehmet Pasa 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, Kirkoz Han, Alara Han and Castle and Sarapsu (Serapsu) Han.
Sites of interest
Historic sites - See Antalya Province for information on historic sites and places of natural beauty elsewhere in the province. Those near the city include
- Aspendos: A Pamphylian city, 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, northwest of Antalya.
- Ariassos: . along the Antalya-Burdur highway and before arriving at the village of Dag turn left and Ariassos is . 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: 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 / Yanartas, 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 AntalyaKumluca highway. Phaselis and other ancient towns around the shore can also be accessed from the sea by daily yacht tours.
Transportation Main transportation to the city is by air and land. Sea routes are still under development.
In 2007, the airport added a new terminal. The city is improving land and sea transportation as well.
The city has a main port at the south of the Konyaalti. It is planing to launch local routes to Kemer.
Public transportationAntalya Bus Station (Otogar) through E87, D400, D650 routes.
There is a local bus system operated by a private corporation of the greater municipality.
The dolmus consists of municipal minibuses that travel a prescribed route.
Taxis are available.
A rail connection is in the planning stages.
The tram system runs from Antalya Museum and the Sheraton Voyager and Falez hotels, along the main boulevard to the city center at Kalekapisi, Hadrian's Gate, Karaalioglu Park, and ending at Talya Oteli. Trams depart on the hour and half-hour from the terminal (east and west), and reach Kalekapisi between 10 and 15 minutes later. The one-way fare is under $1.
Currently an 11,1 km light rail line is being built from one of the main city bus hub nortwest to the Zoo and beyond to suburban areas. The line is due to open in December 2008. It is planned to expand to the Airport, Lara and the Harbour til 2020.
Major routesThe infrastructure such as roads and drains are struggling to catch up with the increase in population and tourists.
AirportsIn 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".
Sister cities>|valign=top|
Antalya has 8 sister cities (aka "twin towns"):
Bat Yam, Israel
Cheboksary, Russia
Kazan, Russia
Nürnberg, Germany
Rostov-Na-Donu, Russia
Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan
Austin, Texas, United States of America
Gazimagosa, North Cuprus Turk Republic/NCTP
Notable people from Antalya alphabetical order
- Cafercan Aksu, football player
- Coskun Gögen, film actor
- Deniz Baykal, leader of Turkish Republican People's Party (CHP)
- Deniz Seki, pop musician
- Levent Yüksel, musician, composer
- Michael Attaliates ("Attaleian" in Greek), Byzantine lawyer of 11th Century AD.
- Onat Kutlar, writer
- Özgürcan Özcan, football player
- Rüstü Reçber, football player
- Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, lived in the ancient town of Myra
- Sümer Tilmaç, actor
- Tarik Akiltopu, architect, historian, poet, writer
See also
Hardcopy - XVIII. International symposium on excavation, research and arkeometry , The importance of Anatolian Peleolitic under the light of 1985-1995 Karain excavations , Dr. Kadriye ÖZÇELIK, Isin Yalçinkaya and others.
- XXVI. International symposium on excavation, research and arkeometry , 2003 Karain excavations , Dr. Kadriye ÖZÇELIK, Isin Yalçinkaya and others.
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