Antalya: Gateway to the Past on the Turquoise Coast

Nestled between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, Antalya is where natural beauty meets layers of ancient history. Known today as a resort city with turquoise waters and modern marinas, Antalya was once a thriving Roman port—and its historic heart, Kaleiçi, still tells that story.

 I wandered the narrow, winding streets of Kaleiçi, the old town enclosed by Roman walls and Ottoman-era homes. Whitewashed houses with overhanging balconies and vine-draped courtyards line cobblestone alleys. At every turn, something timeless: a crumbling stone arch, a hidden courtyard café, or a cat perched beneath the shade of a fig tree.

At the center stands Hadrian’s Gate, built in honor of the Roman emperor’s visit in 130 CE. Passing beneath its triple arches felt like stepping through time. Nearby, the Yivli Minaret, a 13th-century Seljuk landmark, rises over the old city like a stone flame—visible from nearly every point in Kaleiçi.

Antalya is more than a beach destination. It’s a place where empires overlapped, where Hellenistic temples met Byzantine churches and Ottoman baths. History isn’t preserved behind glass—it’s alive in the architecture, streets, and rhythms of everyday life.

 Kaleiçi

Antalya