TURKEYANTALYAAntalya is the capital of the province

that bares the same name. Sur-rounded on three sides by the Taurus Mountains, the city is located at the wa-ter’s edge of a narrow coastal plane. The

fertile lands and generally mild climate make the province of Antalya one of the richest and most productive agricul-tural regions in all of Turkey. The local farmers are justifi-ably proud of the fact that they provide the entire country with over 50% of its fresh produce.Antalya is an ancient city, having been founded in 150 BC by the King of Pergamum, Attalos II. With a regional popu-lation of approximately three-quarter million, the heartbeat of the province and city remains centered on the port, the very reason for its foundation. Perched on a cliff overlook-ing the bay, there is a quaint contrast between the narrow streets that meander through the walled “Old City” known as Kaleici and the elegant modern boulevards lined with stately palm trees. The port has been refurbished into a modern harbor and marina and has become an attractive, inviting and thriving hub of activity. Antalya has long been recognized by locals and visitors alike as one of the loveli-est cities in Turkey.Turkey itself is an amazing country, rich in tradition and his-tory that is quite literally like the strata of one of the nation’s ancient archeological sites where one generation has left its mark atop the imprint of the generation preceding. Though three-quarters of the country is surrounded by water, (the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea) at the same time eight nations, from Europe, Central Asia and the Mid-East, share its borders. Turkey could very well claim to be the crossroads, if not the center of the world. This is a land of ancient kingdoms such as the Ionians, the Lycians and Carians all of whom, for the most part, have been con-signed to the deepest vaults of scholarly pursuit. This is also a land of ancient empires such as that of Cyrus and Xerxes of Persia, Alexander the Great and the Greeks and the Roman Empire that evolved into Emperors Constantine and Justinian’s Byzantine Empire. This was followed by the Ottomans and mighty sultans such as Suleyman the Mag-nificent. This is truly a land of historic wonder.From the crumbling ruins of its last dying empire, the mod-ern day Republic of Turkey was established in 1923, after World War I and the country’s War for Independence that soon followed in its wake. It was founded under the leader-ship of one of the 20th century’s most enlightened, insight-ful and dynamic statesmen who would go on to become the Republic’s first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Approximately 20 miles north-west of Antalya, at the base of the Katran Mountains, is a small hamlet called Yagca. From the hills one can look out for miles over Antalya’s fertile coastal plain. In prehistoric times there were great mammoths and li-ons. During the early Paleolithic Age, about 200,000 years ago, prehistoric men discovered a large cave with a small entrance near the site of modern Yagca. Countless generations later what is now called Karain Cave was re-discovered. Excavation shows that people have been living around present day Anta-lya for nearly a quarter-million years. Some scholars are of the opin-ion that the first large scale organized political and social structure came to the Antalya region with the expansion of the Hittite Empire around 2000 BC. In the 8th and 9th centuries BC a large influx of Greeks mi-grated to the coastal regions of Anatolia. In the area of Antalya the Phyrgians eventually as-similated with the Greeks and were greatly influenced by the culture and language. The Phy-rgians who lived further inland remained isolated and did not share in the cultural advances brought by the Greeks.By the late 600s BC the Lydian Empire controlled this region of Anatolia. They did not last long. Emperor Cyrus the Great and

his mighty Persian army swept over the land and brought it into his empire. The Persians would rule until 336 BC when Alexan-der the Great and his Macedo-nians came thundering out of the north. Alexander conquered the Persians but, as is widely known, died young. This threw the region of Antalya, along with most of Alexander’s empire, into chaos as his generals divided up the conquered lands among themselves. The city of Antalya was found-ed in 150 BC by the King of Pergamum, Attalos II. The city was built as a home-port for his navy. King Attalos was a great general, wise ruler and ally of the Roman Empire. Upon the death of his successor, Attalos III, the city and most of Anato-lia became a Roman province. Under Rome Antalya prospered and grew. In the 1st century AD Paul of Tarsus, an apostle of Jesus, sailed into Antalya on his first missionary journey. After estab-lishing churches and preach-ing in cities around the region Paul departed Anatolia from the port of Antalya and returned to Antioch, Syria. With the slow decline of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of the Byz-antine Empire Antalya would continue to develop and prosper over the next 400 years.

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1 The Yivli Minareli Mosque and Minaret was built in the 1200s under the direction of Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat.

Located in the center of the city the minaret is considered by many to be the symbol of Antalya.

2 The Murat Pasa and Tekeli Mehmet Pasa Mosques were built in the 1500s and 1700s respectively. Antalya’s

most distinguished mosques, together they represent fine examples of Turkish tile work and Seljuk period calligraphy.

3 The Kesik Minaret is sometimes respectfully referred to as the Broken Minaret. The ruins of the mosque to

which the minaret was attached was once the site of a Byz-antine church that had been built upon the foundation of a pagan Roman temple.

4 The Hidirlik Kulesi is an ancient stone tower built on the cliffs overlooking the harbor. Constructed around 200

AD, the tower is thought to have served a dual purpose as a defensive lookout and fortification as well as a lighthouse to help guide ships into Antalya’s port.

5 Karaalioglu Park is located on the cliffs next to the Hidirlik Kulesi. It offers visitors a beautiful and serene

refuge and panoramic views of the mountains and the har-bor.

6 The Archaeological Museum has a large and impres-sive collection of artifacts and exhibits that starts with the

prehistoric period and trace the development of the city and province through the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Turkish eras. Some of the items on display include coins, jewelry, sarcophagi and weaponry.

History continuedBy the 700s AD Islam was growing in power and influence. From that time up to the fall of Constantinople in 1493, Antalya would change hands between the Byzantines and the Muslims no less than six times. But it was during the 2nd Crusade in 1148 that a great tragedy occurred in Antalya. The French army of King Louis VII had come from the east, crossed the Taurus Mountains with great difficulty, descended onto the coastal plain, and reached the gates of Antalya. At the port the Crusaders expected the ar-rival of a fleet of 200 ships to take them on to the Holy Land. The Knights, foot soldiers and camp followers numbered in the tens of thousands. They put an immediate and serious strain on the city’s food supply. The Byzantine governor of Antalya closed the

gates and locked the Crusaders out. The countryside was con-trolled by Islamic Turks who were bent on destroying the Crusad-ers before they could reach Jerusalem. Hunger and desperation quickly set in. When the fleet sailed into Antalya’s harbor it was not the 200 ships that were expected…there were only 5 vessels. King Louis and his knights shamelessly abandoned their infantry and the civilians and sailed off to Antioch, Syria. Locked out of Antalya, defenseless, leaderless, facing starvation and slaughter at the hands of the Muslim fighters, tens of thousands of Euro-pean Crusaders, women, children and camp followers set off to the west on foot … toward the Holy Land. Somewhere within the rugged and torturous terrain of southern Anatolia they met their fate, still as yet unknown. Antalya would, for the most part, quietly fade into history.

7 Hadrian’s Gate was built in honor of the Ro-man Emperor Hadrian who came to Antalya

in 130 AD. The three arches of white marble are remarkably preserved due to the fact that in later centuries the expanded walls of the city covered up the gate thereby providing the structure unin-tended protection until it was rediscovered, exca-vated and restored at a much later date.

8 The Kaleici Marina is a great place to relax and stroll along Antalya’s harbor. The area

is lined with shops and cafes that provide a won-derful view of the waterfront.

Aspendos is located about 30 miles east of Anta-lya. It is best known for having what is reputedly the best preserved classic Roman amphitheater in the world. The theater was constructed in the mid 100s AD with a seating capacity of 7,000.

Termessos was built around 400 BC over 3,000 feet high in the Taurus Mountains. Often shroud-ed in clouds and mist the magnificent ruins include temples and a theatre, among many other things. The ancient city is located approximately 20 miles northwest of Antalya. Visitors to the site will easily understand why Alexander the Great decided to bypass this city when he conquered the region in 336 BC. He was impressed with its nearly unas-sailable defensive setting. Perge is a wonderful archeological site located about 10 miles northeast of Antalya. Originally founded around 1000 BC the magnificent ruins that can be seen today date primarily from the Roman period beginning about 180 BC. The most amazing structure is the Temple of Artemis, a goddess of fertility. Christians might remember the name of Perge as being the first city where the apostles Paul and Barnabas preached after arriving in Anatolia in 48 AD on Paul’s first mis-sionary journey.

Shore ExcursionsTo make the most of your visit to Antalya and surrounding areas we suggest you take one of the organized Shore Ex-cursions. For Information concerning tour content and pric-ing, consult azamaracruises.com or contact the onboard Shore Excursion Desk. When going ashore, guests are ad-vised to take with them only the items they need and to se-cure any valuables.

Local CustomsBargaining: Prices are set in department stores. Private shops will often bargain. These hints might help you: Do not seem too interested. Starting at 60% and finishing at 80% or a little lower of the marked price is about right. Walking away can sometimes get you a better deal. Remember, if the ven-dor agrees to your price it is considered rude not to make the purchase. Pay in YTL (New Turkish Lira) for the best price.Tipping: Wages are generally very low in bars and restau-rants. Your tip will be appreciated much more than you real-ize. A 10% tip is customary.

Local Cuisine and Drink Specialties Some of the traditional dishes of Turkey include: Piyaz is a Turkish bean salad usually served with a boiled egg. Cab-bage Dolma, a steamed cabbage leaf stuffed with rice, herbs, spices, pine nuts and currants. Sis kebab, skewered lamb cubes that have been marinated in olive oil, milk, on-ions, tomato sauce, salt and pepper then grilled. Alinazik is cooked ground meat over a mixture of roasted eggplant, garlic, yogurt and green peppers. Baklava is a sweet lay-ered pastry of light, flakey, buttered dough and pistachios or walnuts, baked and then covered with a hot syrup made from sugar, lemon juice and water.Unlike much of the West, coffee in Turkey is far more than a simple morning “pick-me-up”. Coffee is a traditional com-ponent of the social structure and culture. In centuries past young women were trained and judged on its taste and pre-sentation by prospective in-laws. This custom is still followed by some families even today. Raki is a Turkish brandy most often made from grapes or plumbs. With its extremely high alcohol content it is often referred to as “aslan sutu… the lion’s milk”.

ShoppingThe main shopping bazaar is on Kazim Ozalp Caddesi (Caddesi = Street) near the Kalekapisi (the old stone tower) in the center of the “Old City” known as Kaleici. Carpets, brass, copper, leather and silver and gold jewelry are some of the most popular items available.

ANTALYABEYOND

This information has been compiled for the convenience of our guests and is intended solely for that purpose. While we work to ensure that the information contained herein is correct,

we cannot accept responsibility for any changes that may have taken place since printing.

Copyright RCCL 2008. All rights reserved.

Local CurrencyThe unit of currency in Turkey is the new Turkish Lira (YTL). Notes are now available in the following denominations; 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 1 and coins of 5, 10, 50 and 100. ATM’s are commonly available. Local banks and exchange offices are the best location to convert your currency to Lira.

Post Office and Telephone Facilities# 5 Ataturk Bulvari (boulevard), in the Arapsuyu Mah district. Pay phones may require a phone card for access to the following numbers. AT&T: 0811.288.0001 / MCI: 0811.288.0012 / SPRINT: 0811.288.0013

TransportationTaxis are always available but few of the drivers will speak English. All licensed taxis are metered.In order to rent a car you must be at least 18 years old and have had your driver’s license for over one year.

Local Tourist OfficeLocated in Yavuz Ozcan Park, across from the Selekler Shopping Center.

Useful Words and PhrasesHello • MerhabaGoodbye • HosçakalinHow are you? • Nasilsiniz?Thank you • Tesekkürederim

You’re welcome • Bir sey degilYes • EvetNo • HayirHow much is this? • Bukaç lira?