Antalya (formerly known as Adalia; from Pamphylian Greek: Αττ?λεια Attália) is a large town and tourist destination, situated on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It is the capital city of Antalya Province. The population of the city is 603,190 (2000 census) but reaches up to two million in summers at the height of tourism season.
,Situated on a steep cliff over the Mediterranean, Antalya is a picturesque city surrounded by mountains. Developments in tourism, starting in the 1970s, have transformed the city into an international resort. With its airport and central location, Antalya is "the capital of Turkish tourism", a gateway for the Turkish riviera and many historical sites.
Furthermore, with its palm-lined boulevards, its prize-winning marina, the unspoilt historical neighbourhood of Kaleiçi, and the modern developments along the coast, the city of Antalya is a major attraction in its own right. Antalya and its surroundings are a very important part of Turkish tourism.
Antalya city corresponds to the lands of ancient Pamphylia to the east and Lycia to the west. Antalya has plenty of accommodation, a very hot climate and many places to visit both in and around the city, including traces of Lycian,Pamphylian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman architecture and cultures.
The city as a whole has grown huge now and the infrastructure such as roads and drains are struggling to catch up, but there are still areas that are very attractive indeed: Kaleiçi, with its narrow cobbled streets of historic Turkish and Greek houses is the old center of Antalya, now mainly hotels, gift shops, and many, many bars. The big new hotels such as the Sheraton are along the coast above the Konyaalti and Lara beaches, and indeed spread along the coast in both directions far beyond the city of Antalya itself.
In summer the town is heaving with tourists both from Turkey itself and sun-seeking foreigners, many from Britain and Germany and for the last few years a large number from Russia as well. On summer evenings it is too hot and humid to sleep and Antalya hums with the sound of people buzzing around on scooters or cracking open seeds and nuts with their teeth as they parade the streets with their friends and families. In winter the town is cool and quiet.
Antalya has now acquired a rich middle-class and the associated developments such as private colleges, and luxury cars. The tree-lined avenue along the cliff-top to Konyaaltý is one of Antalya's best-known locations, lined with luxury apartments and posh shops; the other major shopping street is Iþýklar Caddesi.
Antalya is not all wealth and glamour of course and there are large neighbourhoods of working families struggling to survive in this hot climate, where employment is seasonal.
|
