Antalya

Antalya is a Turkish city on the Mediterranean Sea. Today the area is called the Turkish Riviera because of the long sandy beaches. Antalyas Old Town is mostly situated above a steep coast. The important seaport in the south of the city is Konyaaltı beach.

Antalya is the capital of the province of the same name. Half of its population live in the city of Antalya. Today, Antalya is the center of a rapidly growing tourist branch on the Turkish Riviera It is visited by more than 2.5 million tourists every year. There are over 20,000 permanent residents in the region.

In the numerous new suburbs around Antalya, housing construction is being advanced according to modern standards. Nearly each of these settlements has a mosque and a shopping center as well as good transport links to the center.

Antalya Airport is the destination for many holiday flights. In the immediate vicinity are the tourist centers Belek, Manavgat and Alanya in the east as well as Kemer in the west.

Hadrian’s Gate

The representative Hadrian Gate (Turkish: Üçkapılar = “the three gates”), the ancient Attaleia, is one of the oldest sights of the city. The gate, which was integrated into the city wall and flanked by two towers, was built on the occasion of a visit of the Roman Emperor Hadrian.

Yivliminare Mosque

The Yivli Minare was probably built at the time of the Seljuq Sultan Kai Kobad I (perhaps 1226/1227). It belongs to the older mosque. This minaret has now become a landmark of Antalya. The 38-meter high minaret is made of bricks in column form. The base is made of stone. The minaret is partially decorated with blue tiles. The mosque has six domes resting on arches supported by 12 columns.