According to ancient tradition, King Attalus II of Pergamon gave his men around 158 BC. The command to find heaven on earth. After an extensive search through the regions, the men finally chose the area around what is now Antalya. So King Attalus II of Pergamon founded his city Αττάλεια (Attáleia) there, and despite the beauty of the location and the mild climate, he would have been astonished if he had known that this city is now the gateway to the Turkish Riviera every year millions of Attracts visitors from all parts of the world.
Short for AYT by Abbreviationfinder, Antalya, which Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is once said to have praised as the most beautiful city in Turkey, was little more than a medium-sized provincial town until the 1950s, but today it is without exaggeration the center of tourism in Turkey. In 2007, Antalyas Airport overtook Istanbul’s international airports in terms of foreign traffic for the first time, so that with this record it was given the nickname “Capital of Turkish Tourism” for the first time. Members of the diplomatic corps of the Turkish capital Ankara once said about today’s metropolis on the Gulf of Antalya that it was Ataturk’s greatest mistake not to make Antalya but Ankara the capital.
Unfortunately, Antalya has lost much of its former idyll and beauty due to mass tourism. Unattractive blocks of houses line up and watch in amazement the indescribable chaos of the streets and alleys, the hordes of tourists and smog bells that cloud some sunny days. But what remains unique is the bewitchingly beautiful location of the city on a steep coast towering high above the Mediterranean Sea. Also worth seeing are the historically interesting Turkish houses at the old marina and in the old town of Antalya as well as the hustle and bustle in the markets and in the shops, which is somewhere between tradition and tourist adaptation.
Whoever comes to Antalya does so mainly because of the long sandy beaches of the so-called Turkish Riviera, this cozy Turkish south coast, which, along with the Aegean coast in the south, is one of the main tourist centers of Turkey.
Note
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| Name in Turkish | Antalya |
| Name in German | Antalya |
| Other names | formerly known as Adalia or Attalia (Greek Αττάλεια) |
| Country | Turkey |
| Location | Antalya is located in the Turkish south-west of Anatolia and borders the Gulf of Antalya (Mediterranean Sea). The city is located about 244 km from Ankara, 255 km from Adana, 222 km from Izmir and 300 km from Istanbul. |
| Region | Antalya Province |
| Landmark | Minaret of the Yivli Minare Mosque Hıdırlık Tower (Hıdırlık Kulesi) |
| Function of the city | Capital of the Province of Antalya Tourist stronghold Gate to the Turkish Riviera (Turquoise Coast) |
| Surface | approx. 1,417.00 km² |
| Population | approx. 800,000 [as of 01/2009] |
| Ethnicities | Va Turks |
| Languages | Turkish |
| Religions | Sunni Islam |
| National currency | Turkish Lira (1 Lira = 100 Kurus) |
| Adjacent waters | Antalya is located on the Gulf of Antalya, which is part of the Mediterranean. |
| Mountains and elevations | Taurus Mountains Tünek Tepe (618 m) |
| Official homepage | www.antalya.bel.tr |
| Tourist center | Tourist Information Antalya Anafartalar Caddesi No: 31 Antalya Turkey Tel: 0090 – (0) 242-247 7660 Fax: 0090 – (0) 242-248 7870 |
| Telephone code with country code | 0090 – (0) 242 – subscriber number |
| Time compared to CET | + 2 h |
| Line voltage, line frequency | 230 volts and 50 hertz |
| Turkey license plate | TR |
Antalya: Known People
Tarık Akıltopu (1918-2004)
The poet, writer and architect, born in Antalya in 1918, was an avowed Antalya lover. He has also expressed this love in numerous books and poems.
Attalus II. Philadelphos (220 – 138 BC)
If one believes the tradition, Antalya was founded in 158 BC. Founded by King Attalus II of Pergamon. This ruler also went down in history as the builder of the famous Stoa of Attalus in Athens.
Deniz Baykal (born 1938)
The Turkish politician, born in Antalya in 1938, is currently the party leader of the Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP), the Republican People’s Party. In the course of his political career he held numerous ministerial offices.
Coşkun Göğen (born 1946)
The Turkish film and theater actor from Antalya began his career in 1972 in the film Asi Gençler. But he celebrated his greatest successes in the role of Tecavüzcü Coşkun.
Özgürcan Özcan (born 1988)
This Turkish football player was born in Antalya in 1988 and is currently under contract with Galatasaray Istanbul.
Rüştü Reçber (born 1973)
The Turkish football goalkeeper, who was born in Antalya, is best known in Turkey by his first name, Rüştü.
Sumer Tilmaç (born 1946)
The Turkish actor has played in numerous theater, film and television productions since 1962 and worked for three years at the Antalya State Theater. Tilmaç, who was born in Malatya but grew up in Antalya, once ran a restaurant in Istanbul that only served specialties from Antalya.
Burak Yılmaz (born 1985) In
1985, Burak Yılmaz, another Turkish soccer player, was born in Antalya. The midfielder is currently playing for Fenerbahçe Istanbul.
Levent Yüksel (born 1964)
Yüksel, born in Antalya in 1964, is a Turkish pop musician who achieved great success with his first album Med-Cezir (1993).