Antalya is a pretty, historically rich city that has beeen located in south of Turkey on Mediterranean shore. It has been keeping the speciality that it has been an important trade center from the past untill today. The historical origin of Antalya is as old as that of humanbeing. At the south of the city, the archeological excavations and researches which have been carried out in Karain Cave in Şam Mountain located in foot of Toros Mountains from 1946 untill today, have achieved to bring to light numerous quite rich finds belong to Paleolitic and Neolitic ages.
The first settlement location of Antalya had been set on a place whose recent name is Kaleici. The remnants belong to old city, South, East and North gates have being presented untill today. The North gate has been called as City Gate, the East gate consisting three arches has been called as Emperor Hadrianus Gate and South Gate has been called as Hidirlik Gate. Today’s road starting from the port passing through the midde of the city reaching at the North gate has been located on the old road.
Antalya, which had been named as Attalia in Archaic age, has taken its name from Pergame King II.Attalos who had stayed on the throne between the years of 159 and 138 B.C Attalos who had desired to enlarge the lands of his kingdom when he had been on throne, had started campaigns to South and to East; during these campaigns, he had gotten hold of Antalya located in Pamfilya Region, then he had transformed the city into a trade center and a military base.
According to a legend, King Attalos had declared that he had been looking for an heaven that exists on earth but its location had been unknown and he had wanted his soldiers to look for it. During the conquest, the Navy of King Attalos had captured Pampilya, then they had come to Mediterranean shore. When they had reached at “Kaleici” of today, they had thought that they had found the heaven and they immediately had informed about their finding. Attalos had started to change this place into a perfect city.
As it could be seen on Roman Maps; the first name of the city was Attalia. Afterwards, this word has been transformed into Adalya, then. Sadalia and finally Antalya name has been arrived at today. Untill now, as a result of the archeological excavations and researches which have been carried out in Antalya Region, almost a hundred Archaic settlement have been achieved to bring to light. Hittite, Lidia, Persian, Ionia, Macedonian, Roman and Byzantine hints have been found in the settlements.
The settlement located in here such as Perge, Side, Demre and each of them had been important trade centers for the Anatolia of Archaic age. Another important feature of Antalya is its leadership in ship construction. There had been constructed so pretty and strong ships by consumption of hard and sweety smelling Cedar wood as main material brought from Toros Mountains. Toros Cedar had also been the most preferable type of wood in temple and palace contsructions. Thousands of trees cut on Toros Mountains and they had been transported from the port of Antalya to Islands of Aegean Sea and to Syria and Egypt.
The famous Cedar tree of Toros Mountains had been used in the construction of Suez Canal that has been opened to transportation in XIX. Century and also huge amounts of Cedar wood had been exported to U.S.A. for many years.
Antalya was in a very important position during the period of Seljuks. Because, the goods transported by trade ships come from Syria and Egypt had been generally brought to this port and they had been reshipped to Middle Anatolia Region. In 1182, Sultan 11. Kihg Asian, had wanted to take also this city after the conquest of Kiitahya. However, in 1207, Antalya have been conquered by Seljuks Empire as a result of the attacks accomplished by Giyaseddin Keyhusrev. Duing the period of Seljuks, especially in the years that Alaattin Keyubat had been on the throne, there had been constructed excellent buildings such as Yivli Minare (Ribbed Minaret), Kesik Minare (Cut Minaret), Mevlevihane (Mevlevi Lodge), Turbe (Grave) which are better than another. At the shore of Mediterranean Sea, having a temperate climate, Antalya has a dense tourist potential in each month of year. When it is being swam at the beaches, at the same time, it can be skied in Toros Mountains and it can be benifited from any kind of winter sports. Antalya is one of the leader tourism center of Turkey. As a result of the archeological excavations which have been carried out in ruins of Archaic settlements such as Perge, Termessos, Demre, Alanya and Side, very valuable archeological materials have been achieved to bring to light and they have being exhibited in Antalya museum.