Antalya

The Antalya region has been inhabited for millennia, and its strategic location made it one of the most important ports in the eastern Mediterranean basin. The city was founded in the 2nd century BC by King Attalus II of Pergamon, who, according to legend, was searching for paradise on Earth in this area. The settlement soon came under Roman rule and became a thriving commercial hub, marked by Emperor Hadrian's visit in AD 130; the three-arched marble Hadrian's Gate still commemorates this event today. During the Byzantine era, the city served as an important Christian episcopal seat and a fortified maritime bastion. In the early 13th century, the Seljuk Turks conquered the region, shaping its Islamic architectural character and constructing the Yivli Minaret mosque complex, built with ribbed brick and now a symbol of the city. During centuries of Ottoman rule, Antalya retained its commercial significance, and the walled Kaleiçi old town still faithfully showcases the era's characteristic wooden and stone houses, the network of narrow cobblestone streets, and the preserved Roman harbour.

The region's geological and ecological features are unique in the Mediterranean. The steep, rocky chain of the Taurus Mountains surrounding the city and the turquoise sea create a special microclimate and rich biodiversity. Karst waters cascading from the mountains form spectacular waterfalls: the Upper Düden Waterfall, with its shady caves and lush vegetation, offers a natural retreat from the summer heat, while the Lower Düden Waterfall plunges directly into the Mediterranean from a rocky cliff at a height of 40 metres. Inland, the Köprülü Canyon National Park, with its winding white-water river, ancient Roman stone bridge, and Europe's largest Mediterranean cypress forest, is a prime location for sustainable, active nature tourism and ecotourism. The rocky coves along the coastline also provide important nesting sites for the endangered loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta).