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In 133 B.C. Antalya, was taken
over by Rome. Antalya (or "Attalia" as the Bible calls it) is where
Paul set sail
with Barnabas on his
first missionary journey: "They passed through Pisidia and reached
Pamphylia. Then after proclaiming the word at Perge they went down to Attalia and
from there sailed for Antioch..." (Acts xiv 24-26). In 130 A.D., Hadrian
visited the city and a monumental arch was built in his honor. During Byzantine
times Antalya was an archdiocese. Following the Seljuk capture of the city,
Antalya continued to be an important commercial and military port. Another of the
architectural works of importance in Antalya is the Karatay medresse . The
ancient castle overlooking the ancient harbor with its old houses nestled
inside is worth exploring and the Antalya Museum is a must for anyone
interested in this region’s art and history. The area around Antalya is
full of places from which one-day trips may be made to ancient
Lycian,
Pisidian, and Pamphylian sites:
Termessos, located amidst the lofty peaks above
Antalya; Perge located 17 kilometers, Aspendos located 40 kilometers, and Side
located 80 kilometers along the road to Alanya . In the direction of Kemer is
Phaselis, a marvelous
archaeological site where one may enjoy the ruins in the atmosphere of a
seaside pine forest.
All the streams of the region aim at finding their way into the Mediterranean and they pour down the slopes of the Tauros, sometimes overland sometimes underground and, reaching their destination, result in lovely waterfalls, of which there are more than twenty. The loveliest of these are the Duden Falls, 15 km. north of Antalya, the Kursunlu Falls 18 km. along the Antalya-Alanya highway and those of Manavghat 3 km. north of the town. |
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