Antalya

The museum in the historic district shows ethnologic collections in a beautifully restored mansion of... a rich Aga (landowner) from the early 19th century. The elaborate renovation was payed for by the wealthy industrial family Koc. Music and life-size sculptures illustrate the 18th and 19th century lifestyle. A Greek orthodox church is also part of the compound. Historic pictures of the old Antalya as well as an exhibition of antique pottery can be seen here. more

Most parts of Antalya's ancient medieval city wall are still well-preserved. Evliya Çelebi, who had... left behind a famous travel report on the Ottoman Empire in 1671, wrote that it had 80 towers and was 4,400 steps long. The old main entrance from the times of the Turkish Great Seljuk Empire was located north along the Cumhuriyet Caddesi, the clock tower (Sanat Kulesi) being one of its last remains. The Hadrianus Gate (Hadrianus Kapisi) was built as a tirumphal arch in 13 BC to honor the visit of the emperor Hadrianus. The three vaulted passages were decorated with sculpted marble tops and friezes. A statue of the emperor probably used to stand on top of it. The gate is so well preserved because it was walled during the Middle Ages. You can still see the the ruts of the Roman wagons on the paving tiles two meters below the current ground level. more

The Yivli Minare, a minaret made of bricks, is 38 meters high and the town's landmark. The name "grooved... minaret" comes from its unusual shape with eight supporting half-columns. It was built during the reign of the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat around 1220, probably as a victory tower honoring his father Izzedin Keyhüsrev, who had taken over Antalya from the Byzantines for the first time. A Seljuk Islamic school stood in front of the Yivli Minare, which has been constructed anew as a steel framework hall. The Ulu Cami (great mosque) behind the minaret was induced by Hamide-Emir Mehmet Bey in 1373 as the major mosque of the city. Above the mosque lies the Mevlevihane, a former convent of the dancing dervishes, nowadays often hosting exhibitions. The big octagonal Mehmet Bey Türbesi is the tomb of Emir Mehmet Bey, who up to this day is worshiped by the peasants as a saint. more