Antalya Province
Antalya Province is located on the
Mediterranean coast of south-west
Turkey, between the
Taurus Mountains and the
Mediterranean sea. Area 20,723 km².
Antalya Province is the centre of Turkey's
tourism industry, attracting 30% of foreign tourists visiting Turkey. It features a shoreline of 657 km with beaches, ports, and ancient cities scattered throughout, including the
World Heritage Site Xanthos. The provincial capital is
Antalya city with a population of 714,000.
Antalya is the fastest-growing province in Turkey; with a 4.17% yearly population growth rate between years 1990-2000, compared with the national rate of 1.83%. This growth is due to a fast rate of urbanization, particularly driven by tourism & other service sectors on the coast.
Etymology
The city and thus the province are named after
Attalos II, king of
Pergamon, who founded the city in the 2nd century BC.
History
Antiquity
Antalya has been settled since pre-historic times. Evidence of human habitation dating back to the early Paleolithic age (150,000-200,000) years has been discovered in the Karain caves, 30 km of the north of Antalya city.
[1] Other finds dating back to the Mesolithic (Beldibi caves), Neolithic (Bademağacı Höyüğü) and more recent periods show that the area has been populated by various civilizations throughout the ages.
There are long periods shrouded in mystery until records from the
Hittite period refer to the area as part of the "Lukka Lands" (from which "
Lycia" is derived) and document the lively interaction going on between provinces in the second millennium BC. Like their descendants, the
Lukkans or
Lycians were known for their seamanship (especially their piracy) and demonstrated a fiery independent spirit. Neither the Hittites, nor the
Kingdom of Arzawa on the west coast, could ever keep them at peace for long. Legends of
Ancient Greece tell us that these communities grew into independent cities, the area as a whole came to be called
Pamphylia. A federation of these cities was set up. There are also tales of the migration of the Akha clan to the area after the
Trojan war and eventually Greek settlements were built along the coast and inland.
In the Hellenistic period the western parts of Antalya province were in
Lycia, the east was in
Pamphylia, and at the extremes east, in ancient
Cilicia, while
Pisidia was to the north.
Before the
Ancient Roman conquest Lycia was a kingdom with the first democratic constitution in the world, which later partly inspired the
American Constitution[1] [2].
Antalya was part of the
Lydian kingdom from the 7th century BC until Lydia was defeated by the Persians during the battle of Sardis in
546 BC. The Macedonian commander
Alexander the Great ended Persian rule and in around 334 BC conquered the cities of the area one by one—except for
Termessos and Sillyon which managed to repulse his armies in 333 BC. After the death of Alexander in
323 BC, a long battle erupted between his generals that lasted until
188 BC.
The reign of the kingdom of
Pergamon began with the defeat of the
Seleucid army at
Apamea. Shortly after this the city of
Antalya was founded. When Attalos III, the last king of Pergamom, died in
133 BC he left his kingdom to the
Ancient Romans. At this time the area is dominated by pirates based in small cities along the coast.
The Byzantines
During the mid-
Byzantine era (the 5th and 6th centuries) the city of Antalya grew beyond the city walls.
From the 7th century Muslim Arabs started to be dominant in the region and Antalya later played a part in the Christian
Crusades against
Islam. The army of
Louis VII sailed from Antalya for
Syria in 1148, and the fleet of
Richard I of England rallied here before the conquest of
Cyprus. In the late 11th and early 12th Century much of the area of the modern province fell to the
Turks especially the
Danishmends. From 1120 to March 1207, Antalya was again under the sovereignty of Byzantines.
[2]
The Seljuk Turks
The area was conquered by the
Seljuk Turks and recaptured by the Byzantines again and again from 1076 onwards as the Seljuks strove to establish a trading base on the Mediterranean. At one stage Turkish lord
Kilij Arslan had a palace here. In
1220 Byzantine rule ended for the last time and the city was quickly divided into Christian and Muslim sections, the Christian trading communities including
Venetians and
Genoese.
Alanya also grew and throve during the Seljuk period.
The Ottoman Empire onwards
The area passed through many hands before its final occupation by the
Ottoman Empire under
Murad II in
1432. Ottoman rule of the coast persisted until the end of the First World War, when Antalya was briefly occupied by Italian troops before becoming part of the
Republic of Turkey in 1921.
There are many archaeological sites in the province including three National Parks and three Specially Protected Areas.
Districts and cities
- The coastal districts are; Antalya, Gazipaşa, Alanya, Manavgat, Serik, Kemer, Kumluca, Finike, Kale and Kaş.
- The inland districts are high in the Taurus Mountains, at elevations approx 900-1000 m above sea level. These are; Gündoğmuş, Akseki, İbradı, Korkuteli and Elmalı.
Geography
The land of the province is 77.8% mountain, 10.2% plain and 12% uneven. Many of the peaks of the Taurus mountains are above 2500-3000 metres. The Teke peninsula in the west includes wide plateaus and river basins. Climate, agriculture, demographics and habitation patterns differ greatly between the inland mountain areas and the coastal plain.
Places of interest
The highest point of the Taurus mountains is Akdağ at an altitude of 3025 metres. Located to the northwest of the city centre and at a distance of 50 km is the Saklıkent ski and recreation centre on Beydağları. Here one can ski and then go down to the shore and into the sea during the months of January-April. In Saklıkent there are two teleski and ski courses along with villas and accommodation facilities available in the area. Situated on Bakırlı Hill behind Saklıkent is the Antalya National Space Observatory. It is possible to watch meteor showers and shooting stars on certain days of the year. In rivers rafting and canoeing sports and on the Taurus mountains jeep safari, hunting and trekking tours are organised. Alternatively, there is rock-climbing, bird watching tourism, photo-safari, mountain tourism, line fishing and health tourism at the thalasso and dialysis centres in Geyikbayırı. Holy tourism activities are organized in
Myra and
Patara where
St Nicholas was born and lived. In the area of
Belek, 30 km. east of Antalya, there is a big potential for golf tourism with the bonus of the cultural, historical and natural sightseeing of the region. There are five golf facilities already operating in Belek. There are underwater diving centres on the coast, primarily in
Kemer,
Çamyuva,
Olympos, Adrasan, Kaş,
Kalkan, Üçağız,
Kekova,
Side and
Alanya. In addition, yacht tours are organized from the port of Antalya to
Düden Waterfall-Karpuzkaldıran and Kemer, from Side to Alanya, from
Demre-Çayağzı to Kekova, from Kaş to Kekova, from Kemer to Çıralı-Olympos-Adrasan and
Cape Gelidonya. There are also boat tours on
Manavgat creek and canoe tours on
Xanthos creek. In addition,
Blue Cruise, which covers the southwestern Anatolian coast, ends in Antalya. There are ferryboat trips from Alanya to
Cyprus and from Antalya to
Italy. Antalya today is a world tourism centre with its unique touristic accommodation facilities, nature and historical beauties.
Ancient cities and ruins
There are sites of historical and archaelogical interest all over Antalya including
- The Pisidian city of Ariassos 48 km. along the Antalya-Burdur highway.
- In the district of Kumluca: Acaliasos, Cormus, Gagae, Idebessos, and the ancient Lycian city of Olympos,
- In the district of Kale: Andriake, Antiphellos, Apallai, Myra, Phellos, Sure
- In the district of Üçağız: Apollonia, Hysa, Ilysa, Istloda, Teimiusa
- In the district of Finike: Arycanda, Limyra, Melanippe, Trebema, and Lycian rock graves
- In the district of Kemer, (southwest of Antalya): Idyros, and the Lycian city of Phaselis
- In Side; the town itself, Seleucia (Pamphylia), and a temple of Athena.
- The church of Saint Nicholas in Demre
- The caves of Beldibi, Damlataş and Karain
- Hadrian's Gate, the Roman fortification and the clock tower in the city of Antalya itself. Also near the city the Pamphilian city of Aspendos, Perge (on two hills, once the capital of Pamphylia) and the Pisidian city of Termessos, high in the mountains 35 km northwest of Antalya.
- Karaburun and Seyamük in Elmalı
- Kyneai in Kaş
- Poğla in Korkuteli
- Silliyon (the town of Serik), dates back to 4th century BC.
- Simena in Kekova
- Tlos
- The ancient Lycian city of Xanthos (Kınık)
National parks
Sites of natural beauty
Solar eclipse of 2006
On March 29, 2006 a total solar eclipse occurred over Antalya, lasting almost 4 minutes, the centre line passing over the resorts of Side and Manavgat. A solar eclipse is a rare natural event that one can see maybe only once in a lifetime.
Website of the TUBITAK National Observatory in Antalya
References
External links
Coordinates:
Motto
Yurtta Sulh, Cihanda Sulh
Peace at Home, Peace in the World
Anthem
İstiklâl Marşı
The Anthem of Independence
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TurkeyThis article is part of the series:
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Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. The term
Surface area is the summation of the areas of the exposed sides of an object.
Units
Units for
measuring surface area include:
- square metre = SI derived unit
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Politics of Turkey
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- President (List)
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Appearance
The license plate is rectangular in shape and made of aluminum. On the left, there is the country code "TR" in a 4x10cm blue bar like in EU countries.
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0 is the long distance dialing prefix while the international dialing prefix is 00.
Calling a cell phone from out side of Turkey is the same except the three digit numbers are replaced with the ones of the companies.
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Mediterranean is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. It covers an approximate area of 2.
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Motto
Yurtta Sulh, Cihanda Sulh
Peace at Home, Peace in the World
Anthem
İstiklâl Marşı
The Anthem of Independence
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Taurus Mountains (Turkish: Toros Dağları) are a mountain range in the southern Anatolian plateau, from which the Euphrates (Turkish: Fırat) descends into Syria.
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Mediterranean is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. It covers an approximate area of 2.
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A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO
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State Party Turkey
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iii
Reference 484
Region Europe and North America
Inscription History
Inscription 1988 (12th Session)
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Attalus II Philadelphus (in Greek Attalos II Philadelphos) (220 BC–138 BC) was a King of Pergamon. He was the second son of Attalus I Soter and wife queen Apollonis (?), and ascended the throne following the death of his elder brother (at the minority of his nephew),
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Pergamon(Πέργαμος)
Ancient City of Greece
(Bergama)
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Hittites were an ancient people from Kaneš who spoke an Indo-European language, and established a kingdom centered at Hattusa (Hittite URUḪattuša) in north-central Anatolia from the 18th century BC.
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Lycia (in Lycian, Trm̃misa (see List of Lycian place names); in ancient Greek, Λυκία and in modern Turkish, Likya) is a region in the modern-day provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey.
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Lycia (in Lycian, Trm̃misa (see List of Lycian place names); in ancient Greek, Λυκία and in modern Turkish, Likya) is a region in the modern-day provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey.
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Lycia (in Lycian, Trm̃misa (see List of Lycian place names); in ancient Greek, Λυκία and in modern Turkish, Likya) is a region in the modern-day provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey.
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Arzawa is a region or kingdom in what was later to be known as Lydia in Western Anatolia. It was the western neighbour and sometimes vassal of the Hittites, and probably bordered on the Assuwa league to the north.
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The term ancient Greece refers to the periods of Greek history in Classical Antiquity, lasting ca. 750 BC[1] (the archaic period) to 146 BC (the Roman conquest). It is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the foundation of Western Civilization.
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Pamphylia was the region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus (modern day Antalya province, Side,Turkey).
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Trojan War was waged, according to Greek mythology, against the city of Troy by the armies of the Achaeans (Mycenaean Greeks), after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta.
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Lycia (in Lycian, Trm̃misa (see List of Lycian place names); in ancient Greek, Λυκία and in modern Turkish, Likya) is a region in the modern-day provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey.
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Pamphylia was the region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus (modern day Antalya province, Side,Turkey).
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Cilicia (Greek: Κιλικία; Armenian: Կիլիկիա) was a commonly used name of the south coastal region of the Anatolian penninsula, now known as Çukurova, and a political entity in Roman times.
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Pisidia was a region of ancient Asia Minor (modern day Antalya, Turkey), located north of Lycia, and bordering Caria, Lydia, Phrygia and Pamphylia. Among Pisidia's settlements were Termessus, Selge, Cremna, Sagalassos, Etenna, Antiochia, Neapolis, Tyriacum, Laodiceia
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Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea.
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