THE ANCIENT CITY OF PATARA

Patara (Lycian: Pttara), later renamed Arsinoe (Greek: Ἀρσινόη), was a flourishing maritime and commercial city on the south-west coast of Lycia on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey near the modern small town of Gelemiş, in Antalya Province. It is the birthplace of St. Nicholas, who lived most of his life in the nearby town of Myra (Demre).

History

Possessing a natural harbour, Patara was said to have been founded by Patarus, a son of Apollo. It was situated at a distance of 60 stadia to the southeast of the mouth of the river Xanthos. Patara was noted in antiquity for its temple and oracle of Apollo, second only to that of Delphi. The god is often mentioned with the surname Patareus.Herodotussays that the oracle of Apollo was delivered by a priestess only during a certain period of the year; and from Servius we learn that this period was the six winter months. It seems certain that Patara received Dorian settlers from Crete; and the worship of Apollo was certainly Dorian. Ancient writers mentioned Patara as one of the principal cities of Lycia. It was Lycia's primary seaport, and a leading city of the Lycian League, having 3 votes, the maximum.
The city, with the rest of Lycia, surrendered to Alexander the Great in 333 BC. During the Wars of the Diadochi, it was occupied in turn by Antigonus and Demetrius, before finally falling to the Ptolemies. Strabo informs us that Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt, who enlarged the city, gave it the name of Arsinoe (Arsinoë) after Arsinoe II of Egypt, his wife and sister, but it continued to be called by its ancient name, Patara. Antiochus III captured Patara in 196 BC. The Rhodians occupied the city, and as a Roman ally, the city with the rest of Lycia was granted its freedom in 167 BC. In 88 BC, the city suffered siege by Mithridates IV, king of Pontus and was captured by Brutus and Cassius, during their campaign against Mark Antony and Augustus. It was spared the massacres that were inflicted on nearby Xanthos. Patara was formally annexed by the Roman Empire in 43 AD and attached to Pamphylia.
Patara is mentioned in the New Testamentas the place where Paul of Tarsus and Luke changed ships. The city was Christianized early, and several early bishops are known; according to Le Quien, they include:
Nicholas of Myra was born at Patara in ca. 300. Patara is mentioned among the Lycian bishoprics in the Acts of Councils (Hierocl. p. 684). The Notitiae Episcopatuum mention it among the suffragans of Myra as late as the thirteenth century.
The city remained of some importance during the Byzantine Empire as a way-point for trade and pilgrims. During the wars between the Turks and the Byzantines, the city was largely abandoned. The city remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church, Patarensis; the seat has been vacant since the death of the last titular bishop on February 3, 2006.

Ruins

The name Patara is still attached to the numerous ruins of the city. These, according to the survey of Capt. Beaufort, are situated on the sea-shore, a little to the eastward of the river Xanthus, and consist of a theatre excavated in the northern side of a small hill, a ruined temple on the side of the same hill, and a deep circular pit, of singular appearance, which may have been the seat of the oracle. The town walls surrounded an area of considerable extent; they may easily be traced, as well as the situation of a castle which commanded the harbour, and of several towers which flanked the walls. On the outside of the walls there is a multitude of stone sarcophagi, most of them bearing inscriptions, but all open and empty; and within the walls, temples, altars, pedestals, and fragments of sculpture appear in profusion, but ruined and mutilated. The situation of the harbour is still apparent, but it is a swamp, choked up with sand and bushes. (Beaufort, Karmania, pp. 2, 6.) The theatre was built in the reign of Antoninus Pius; its diameter is 265 feet, and has about 30 rows of seats. There are also ruins of thermae, which, according to an inscription upon them, were built by Vespasian.

Excavation history

In 1993 a Roman milestone was unearthed, the Stadiasmus Provinciae Lyciae (also known as the Stadiasmus Patarensis and the Miliarium Lyciae) in the form of a monumental pillar on which was inscribed in Greek a dedication to Claudius and an official announcement of roads being built by the governor, Quintus Veranius, in the province of Lycia et Pamphylia, giving place names and distances, essentially a monumental public itinerarium.
The site is currently being excavated during two summer months each year by a team of Turkish archaeologists. At the end of 2007, all the sand had been cleared from the theatre and some other buildings, and the columns on the main street had been partially re-erected (with facsimile capitals). The excavations have revealed masonry in remarkable condition.

Tourism

Apart from its ancient ruins, Patara is also famous for the 18 kilometres (11 mi)-long Patara Beach, which is situated on the Turkish Riviera.


Pictures

ANCIENT CITY OF PERGE

PERGE HISTORY

Alexander's was followed by the Diadochi empire of the Seleucids.
In 46 A.D., according to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul journeyed to Perga, from there continued on to Antiocheia in Pisidia, then returned to Perga where he delivered a sermon. Then he left the city and went to Attaleia.
In the first half of the fourth century, during the reign of Constantine the Great (324-337), Perga became an important centre of Christianity after it had become the official religion of the Roman Empire. The city retained its status as a Christian centre in the fifth and sixth centuries.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

St. Paul the Apostle and his companion St. Barnabas, twice visited Perga as recorded in the biblical book, the Acts of the Apostles, during their first missionary journey, where they "preached the word"before heading for and sailing from Attalia (modern-day Antalya city), 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the southwest, to Antioch.
Perge remained a Roman Catholic titular metropolitan see in the former Roman province of Pamphylia Secunda. Paul and Barnabas came to Perge during their first missionary journey, but probably stayed there only a short time, and do not seem to have preached there; it was there that John Mark left Paul to return to Jerusalem. On his return from Pisidia Paul preached at Perge.
The Greek Notitiae episcopatuum mentions the city as metropolis of Pamphylia Secunda until the thirteenth century. Le Quien gives 11 bishops: Epidaurus, present at the Council of Ancyra (modern Ankara) in 312; Callicles at the First Council of Nicæa in 325; Berenianus, at Constantinople (426); Epiphanius at the Second Council of Ephesus (449), at the First Council of Chalcedon (451), and a signatory on the letter from the bishops of the province to Emperor Leo (458); Hilarianus, at the First Council of Constantinople in 536; Eulogius, at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553; Apergius, condemned as a Monothelite at the Third Council of Constantinople in 680; John, at the Trullan council in 692; Sisinnius Pastillas about 754, Constans, at the Council of Nicæa (787); John, at the Fourth Council of Constantinople in 869–70.

REMAINS

Perga is today an archaeological site and a tourist attraction, commonly called Eski Kalessi. Ancient Perge, one of the chief cities of Pamphylia, was situated between the Rivers Catarrhactes (Duden sou) and Cestrus (Ak sou), 60 stadia (about 11.1 kilometres (6.9 mi)) from the mouth of the latter; the site is in the modern Turkish village of Murtana on the Suridjik sou, a tributary of the Cestrus, formerly in the Ottoman vilayet of Koniah. Its ruins include a theatre, a palæstra, a temple of Artemis and two churches. The temple of Artemis was located outside the town.

 

PICTURES

ANTALYA OLD CİTY - KALEİÇİ

                                                             KALEİÇİ ABOUT

Kaleiçi is the historic city center of Antalya, Turkey. Until modern times, almost the entire city was confined within its walls. It has structures dating from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and modern Turkish republican eras. The Kaleiçi area is located in the centre-eastern portion of the city along the mediterranean coast fronted by the yacht harbour that dates to the Roman era.
The name Kaleiçi means "Inside the Kale" or "Inner Kale" (Kale itself means castle or fortress).

                                                          KALEİÇİ PİCTURES

                                                    

  

HADRIAN'S GATE ANTALYA - ÜÇKAPILAR

                                                        HADRİAN'S GATE ABOUT

The Hadrian's Gate, or Hadrianus Gate, or Üçkapılar (last one means "The Three Gates" in Turkish) is a triumphal arch which was built in the name of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who visited Antalya in the year 130. It has three arched gates. According to the legend, Sultan Belkis, the Queen of Sheba, is said to have passed under those gates and enjoyed a happy day in the palace in Aspendos on her way to visit King Solomon. Formerly the city walls enclosed the outside of the gate and it was not used for many years. This may be the reason why it has not been harmed, and it was only revealed when the walls collapsed. It is considered as Pamphylia's most beautiful gate. The upper part has three apertures in the shape of a cupola, and except for the pillars is built entirely of white marble. The ornamentation is very striking. The original gate was two storeys but little is known of the top storey.
On either side of the gate are towers, which are known not to have been built at the same time. The southern one is known as the Julia Sancta tower and is a work of the Hadrian era. It was constructed of plain stone blocks. While the base of the northern tower belongs to antiquity, the upper part is left over from the Seljuk period.


                                                    
                                                      HADRİAN'S GATE PİCTURES

ANCIENT CITY OF ASPENDOS

                                                              ASPENDOS ABOUT

Aspendos was an ancient city in Pamphylia, Asia Minor, located about 40 km east of the modern city of Antalya, Turkey. It was situated on the Eurymedon River about 16 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea; it shared a border with, and was hostile to, Side.^[2] According to later tradition, the (originally non-Greek) city was founded around 1000 BC by Greeks who may have come from Argos. The wide range of its coinage throughout the ancient world indicates that, in the 5th century BC, Aspendos had become the most important city in Pamphylia. At that time the Eurymedon River was navigable as far as Aspendos, and the city derived great wealth from a trade in salt, oil, and wool.
Aspendos did not play an important role in antiquity as a political force. Its political history during the colonization period corresponded to the currents of the Pamphylian region. Within this trend, after the colonial period, it remained for a time under Lycian hegemony. In 546 B.C. it came under Persian domination. The face that the city continued to mint coins in its own name, however, indicates that it had a great deal of freedom even under the Persians.
In 467 B.C. the statesman and military commander Cimon, and his fleet of 200 ships, destroyed the Persian navy based at the mouth of the river Eurymedon in a surprise attack. In order to crush to Persian land forces, he tricked the Persians by sending his best fighters to shore wearing the garments of the hostages he had seized earlier. When they saw these men, the Persians thought that they were compatriots freed by the enemy and arranged festivities in celebration. Taking advantage of this, Cimon landed and annihilated the Persians. Aspendos then became a member of the Attic-Delos Maritime league.^[3]
The Persians captured the city again in 411 B.C. and used it as a base. In 389 B.C. the commander of Athens, in an effort to regain some of the prestige that city had lost in the Peloponnesian Wars, anchored off the coast of Aspendos in an effort to secure its surrender. Hoping to avoid a new war, the people of Aspendos collected money among themselves and gave it to the commander, entreating him to retreat without causing any damage. Even though he took the money, he had his men trample all the crops in the fields. Enraged, the Aspendians stabbed and killed the Athenian commander in his tent.
When Alexander the Great marched into Aspendos in 333 B.C. after capturing Perge, the citizens sent envoys to him to request that he would not establish that he be given the taxes and horses that they had formerly paid as tribute to the Persian king. After reaching this agreement. Alexander went to Side, leaving a garrison there on the city's surrender. Going back through Sillyon, he learned that the Aspendians had failed to ratify the agreement their envoys had proposed and were preparing to defend themselves. Alexander marched to the city immediately. When they saw Alexander returning with his troops, the Aspendians, who had retreated to their acropolis, again sent envoys to sue for peace. This time, however, they had to agree to very harsh terms; a Macedonian garrison would remain in the city and 100 gold talents as well as 4.000 horses would be given in tax annually.
In 190 BC the city surrendered to the Romans, who later pillaged it of its artistic treasures. Toward the end of the Roman period the city began a decline that continued throughout Byzantine times.

                                                                ASPENDOS PİCTURES

                                                              ASPENDOS VİDEO

 

General information about Antalya Holiday

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ANTALYA

Area: 20.723 km2
Population: 2.043.482 (2011)

1.450.209 of this population live in the centre of the province and counties, while 719.410 of this population live in the villages.

Geographical Location: Antalya which is located on the south of Turkey is a tourism destination with its centre on the Mediterranean Sea coast. Antalya is surrounded by the Burdur, Isparta, Konya Provinces on the North; Karaman, Mersin provinces on the East and Muğla on the West. There is Mediterranean Sea on the South. Antalya coast of Turkish Riviera reaches to 630 km long.

History: Antalya which means “the home of Attalos” was founded by Attalos II. Following the fall of Kingdom of Pergamon (133 BC), the city was independent for a while but then fell into the hands of pirates. It was later incorporated into the Roman Empire by Commander Servilius Isauricus in 77 BC. In 67 BC, the city then became a naval base for Pompeius. In 130 AD, the visit of Hadrianus provided progress for Attalia city. Attalia which was accepted as the centre of episcopacy during the Byzantine period made great advancements after possessed by Turks. Since modern city is located on the ancient settlement, the ruins of antiquity can barely be traced. The first one of the ruins that can be seen is the part of harbour pier that indicates the old harbour and the walls surrounding the harbour. Hadrian’s Gate with ongoing restoration works on the other side of the walls is one of the unique ancient monuments of Antalya.

In antiquity, Antalya and its surroundings were known as “Pamphilia” meaning “very productive” and the west side of the city was known as “Lycia”. The people who migrate from the west coasts of Aegean Sea founded the cities like Aspendos, Side in VIII century BC. The King of Pergamon who reigns in II century besieged Side. The King who could not capture Side came to a place where now Antalya city centre is located and founded the city. The city was named after him as Attaleia. In time, people called the city Atalia, Adalya. The name Antalya originated this way.
In the archaeological excavations, people were proved to have lived in Antalya and its environs 40.000 years ago. From the date 2000 BC, this region was ruled under the control of city states such as Hittite, Pamphylia, Lycia, Cilicia and Persia, Great Alexander and its successors Antigonos, Ptolemais, Selevkos and the king of Pergamon. Roman Period later started to reign. The ancient name of Antalya was Pamphylia and the cities built in this area lived their golden age especially in II and III century. Towards V century, they began to lose their glory.  

While the area was under Eastern Roman Empire or, widely known name in Turkey, Byzantines, in 1207 the Seljuks took over the lands. In the period of Anatolian principalities, the city entered into sovereignty of Hamitoğulları which was a family from Teke tribe. Teke Turkmen are also one of the largest populated tribe in today’s Turkmenistan, old Turkish homeland. In XI century, a part of this tribe came to Antalya. Today Teke Area is another name of the region of Lake (Göller Yöresi) which covers the north of Antalya and some parts of Isparta and Burdur. In the Ottoman period, today’s Antalya city centre is the centre of the Teke District of Anatolia Province. In those years, this place is called Teke District. The current name of the city is a changed form of her ancient name and has been given in the Republican period. Evliya Çelebi, the Ottoman traveller, who came to Antalya in the second half of the XVII century, stated that there were 4 quarters and 3.000 houses inside the ancient walls and 24 quarters outside the walls. The market of the city was outside the walls. According to Evliya Çelebi, the Harbour had the capacity of 200 ships. Antalya which was the centre of Teke district connected to Konya administratively was made an independent district in the last period of Ottoman Empire.

Kaleiçi (Old city): It is surrounded inside and outside by horseshoe shaped walls most of which were demolished and disappeared in time. The ancient walls are the joint monument of the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods. The walls have 80 bastions. Inside of the walls, there are approximately 3000 houses with red tile roof. The characteristic structure of the houses not only gives an idea about the history of architecture in Antalya, but also reflects the life style and traditions in the region. In 1972 Antalya marina and Kaleiçi district have been put under protection by High Council of Immovable Monuments and Antiquities as a protected area due to its unique texture. Due to the restoration project of “Antalya Kaleiçi complex” The Ministry of Tourism was awarded the Golden Apple Tourism Oscar by FIJET (International Journalists Association of Tourism) in April 28, 1984. Today Kaleiçi became an entertainment centre with its hotels, pensions, restaurants and bars.

Old Antalya Houses: Since Summers are very hot and the winters are mild in Antalya, providing coolness and the protection from sun rather than cold have been much more important. Shady backyards and stony places are facilitating the air circulation. The houses were built as three floored with the entrance that serves as a storeroom and hallway.
Yivli Minaret: First Turkish monument in Antalya. It is close to marina in the centre. According to the epigraph on the monument, it was built in the reign of Anatolian Seljukian Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat (1219 -1236). Its brick laid body consists of 8 semicylinders. If there was a mosque adjacent to this minaret, it should be demolished because the mosque near the minaret belongs to 1372, a later period. It was built by an architect named Tavaşi Balaban in period of Turkish principality, Hamitoğulları.

Ulu Cami (Ulu Mosque): It is known as Kesik (Truncated) Minaret. It was actually built as a Basilica in V. century. Less survived from the original monument, then it underwent some changes in the Byzantine period. The monument was repaired during the Ottoman period, a part of it used as Mevlevihane (whirling dervish hall) and then opened to service as a mosque.

Karatay Madrasah: It was one of the significant Turkish – Islamic monuments and built in the middle of XIII century.

Evdir Han (Evdir Caravanserai): Until the beginning of the 20th century, transportation was provided by horses and camels and also goods were transferred by this way. The caravans accommodated in “Han” and caravanserai on the road. Evdir Han is one of them. It is on the road to north from Antalya. It is located 1 km east of Antalya - Korkuteli Road and 18 km away from city centre. The part that attracts most attention is its sharp pointed, arched portal. It is a Seljukian monument which was built in XIII century.

Kırkgöz Han: Kırgöz Han is the second stop on the old Antalya – Afyon road. Kırgöz Han is located in Kırkgöz, Pınarbaşı district that is 30 km away from Antalya. It is in very good condition.

Düden Waterfalls: The waterfall which is one of the natural beauties that symbolizes the city is located approximately 10 km northeast of Antalya city centre. It falls down from a height of 20 metres. The main source of the stream is in Kırkgöz area. However lower part of Düden Waterfall is on the road to Lara Beach. It is on the southeast of city centre and floods from 40 metre high cliffs. It is one of the natural beauties that symbolize Antalya.

Kurşunlu Waterfall: It is on 7th km after the turning point to Isparta road which is on the 24th km of Alanya road on the east of city centre. This wonder of nature is one of the most frequently visited places as well. The waterfall is place like a dreamland. It is inside of the deep green valley. The whole place of the waterfall can be seen approximately in half an hour. There are plenty of fishes in the water which forms small lakes in some places. It also attracts attentions with its rich fauna. Düden, Kurşunlu and Manavgat waterfalls were used while shooting many Turkish movies. All can be reached easily by bus.

Lara – Konyaaltı Beaches: The natural beauty Lara beach which is approximately 10 km north of Antalya city centre and Konyaaltı beach which is on the west coast of city centre are the best coasts of the city.

Perge: Perge is 18 km north of Antalya, near Aksu district. It is an important Pamphylian city since it is situated on the Cilicia – Pisidia trade route. The foundation of the city coincides with other Pamphylian cities (VII. Century BC). Perge was important for Christians. Saint Paulos and Barnabas came to Perge. The riches such as Magna Plancia provided significant monuments here. In Perge which the first excavations started in 1946 by Istanbul University, the ruins such as theatre, stadium, main road with columns and agora were found

Karain Cave: The remains in Karain Cave situated 27 km northwest of Antalya within the borders of Yağcılar belong to Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze ages. This cave is one of the places that should be seen.

Ariassos: It is 1 km inside from the turnout on 48th km of Antalya – Burdur highway. Situated on mountain slope, Ariassos is worth seeing with its hamams and rock tombs. At the beginning of Ariassos valley, the most glorious remain the entrance gate rises. This monument which belongs to Roman period, called “Üç Kapı” (Three Doors) by local people since it has 3 arches, thus 3 entries. The most astonishing feature of the city is that three out of four of the whole city is the remains of necropolis with magnificent tombs.

Life Style: There are heritages of two lifestyles prevailing in Antalya and the region. When the Turkish people first came here, they immediately oriented the settled lifestyle and built villages, towns and cities. Another part of the population continued the unsettle life as they did before they came to Anatolia. According to a lifestyle called semi settled 15 – 20 and sometimes hundreds families in relation live in hair tents and migrate to mountains in summer and then warm lowlands in winter called “Kışlak”. They raise sheep, camel, and sell or exchange the products they made from these animals with ones of settled people. They produce meat, milk, oil and weave hair tents and carpets with the madder. There are also people who bread crops, vegetables even in the confined areas. There were even big unsettled groups (aşiret, oymak) that rose horses to Ottoman Army.

Turkish carpets glamorizing the most important museums in Europe are the handicrafts of these people. The big part of our current folk music culture is a heritage from these nomads. The most significant poets of Turkish Folk Poetry and music Karacaoğlan, Dadaloğlu are the representatives of this culture. Since the old times the people who lead a settled life generally call themselves peasant, native, while when you go to a village with high population of Yoruks (Turkish nomads), they say “here is Yoruk village”. You can witness these kind of remarks all around Turkey. However even if people emphasize these differences that go long way back, they all have the same root and they all are Turkish. They do not see different each other and accept this as a richness.

Today, Turkey is one of countries that conformed in modern contemporary world and uses technology in a best way. However nowadays there are only small unsettled groups that lead a life which is thousand year old and has both nostalgic and cultural value. The number does not exceed couple hundred. Sadly only camels have left from this lifestyle. If you happen to come to Belek, Manavgat and Alanya in summertime, you will see camels carrying tourists with bells and rattles on them. These are remembrances from those days. Moreover you can see Yoruk tents for local and foreign tourists in Kemer and on Antalya Kumluca road. You can eat pancake with buttermilk in these tents which look like a half museum. The native people of Antalya immigrate to Plateaus such as Gömbe, Sütleğen, Alanya even today whenever they get a chance. This tradition is a memory from their ancestors. And also you can witness the snow which was preserved in holes in Taurus Mountains in some counties and brought to the centre of county then reduced to juice are sold by peddlers. This is again another old tradition of Yoruks.

Local Foods: The husbandry and the products provided from wheat determine the base of nutrition style of Yoruks. Although raw vegetables are produced leastwise in coastal line wheat and dry vegetables gain importance in the inner regions. It is possible to find all of the world cuisine in touristic hotels and restaurants. However local meals special to the region are saç kavurması (dried lamb fried on iron plate), Tandır kebabı (Tandoor kebab), Kölle (stewed wheat, bean, pea and horsebean), Domates Cilvesi (meal with tomato), Hibeş (spread of tahin, cumin, red pepper flakes and lemon juice), Arapaşı.

Climate: In Antalya prevailing Mediterranean climate, winters are temperate and rainy, summers hot and dry.

Transportation: provided by highways, airline and maritime line. Antalya airport is open to international air traffic.