Antalya Turkey
Antalya is situated on the sun drenched South Western coast of Turkey and is becoming an ever growing popular destination for travellers worldwide and is now known as the Turkish Riviera due to it’s hot climate, blue sea and sundrenched beaches.
The city of has two parts, the old town known as ‘Kaleici’ and the newer more modern town. Although the actual date of when Antalya was first inhabited is not known, it is believed to have been founded by Attalos II, king of Pergamon around 150 BC. However, recent archaeological findings have suggested that it could have been inhabited much earlier and in those early days, it was known as Attalia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antalya
Antalya now consists of 5 boroughs: Aksu, Döşemealtı, Kepez, Konyaaltı and Muratpaşa.
The city is fortunate to have the Taurus mountain range that protects it from Northerly winds and provide a natural backdrop to the city.
Local And Traditional Cuisine Of Antalya
When visiting Antalya, you will see many local dishes and no doubt become familiar with many of the beautiful traditional local dishes that are on offer. As youstroll through the old town, you will often be seduced by the lovely aromas that drift through the streets from the many local restaurants preparing their dishes.
A few of these local dishes are:
Domates civesi
Grida: Girda is a white ‘Grouper’ and is a common type of fish that you will see available on many of the menus in the local restaurants and bars
Piyaz: Piyaz is a dish that consists of garlic, tahini sesame seeds, walnuts and boiled beans
Saksuka: Saksuka is an appetizer or meze and can consist of different ingredients such as onion, courgette, peppers,potato… but the main ones are egg plant, tomatoes and garlic.
Sis köfte: Meatballs on a skewer
Spicy hibes, mixed cumin, tahini mixed with oil
Tandır kebap: Lamb kebab
Tirmis: These Lupin yellow legume seedsand they are eaten as a snack
Antalya Nightlife
After dark, Antalya is certainly a lively place and if you want to stay out and party til the early hours of the morning, then you will not be disappointed with the entertainment on offer. Antalya certainly has a reputation for being one of the best nightspots on the south coast of Turkey and has a wide variety of bars and clubs for you to enjoy.
Most of the bars in Antalya stay open til the early hours of the morning and many of the bars turn into disco late at night. Even the larger hotels in Antalya provide entertainment and this entertainment can be open to people who are not staying in the hotel.
You will find that many of the beach bars also turn into lively nightspots after dark.
Shopping In Antalya
Apart from the many traditional shops offering crafts in the old town, Antalya has become well known for it’s many upmarket shops in Konyaaltı and Işıklar Caddesi. These shops attract both locals and tourists throughout the year.
Antalya Hotels
You can find hotels to suit all kinds of budgets in Antalya. The hotels that are situated in the old town tend to be cheaper and more traditional where as the larger more modern hotels that have been built in the tourist area of Antalya command a higher price. The Lara district of Antalya boasts some of the finest 5 star hotels along the south coast.
Weather Antalya
Antalya has a typical mediterranean climate, meaning is has hot summers with mild winter. Antalya enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year.
Antalya Airport: The closest airport to Antalya is Antalya airport, situated just 6 miles East of the city itself.