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ANTALYA

From the findings resulting from the archeological digs carried out in and around Antalya, it has been ascertained that the region was inhabited 50 thousand years ago. The proof was uncovered in the Karain Cave situated near Yagcikoy, 27 km north-west of Antalya. Remains of the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze ages were unearthed in this cave.

The Hitites, who are believed to have come to Antalya from the Caucasus and Mesopotamia, exercised sovereignty over Antalya during the years 2500-1400 B.C. Historical maps of the region during the years 2000-1400 B.C. show that the Kingdom of the Hitites encompassed Antalya.

The tribes which came from Trakya during the 8th and 7th centuries B.C. put an end to the Hitite Civilization, and the city states of Pamphylia, Lycia and Cicilia were founded. Today's province of Antalya entirely covers Pamphylia, while parts overlap into southern Pisidya, western Cicilia and eastern Lycia.

While the origins of the people of the region were not precisely known, it is believed they were composed of various groups from Anatolian tribes and a Trakya tribe called Phyrgians. The word "Pamphylia" is of Greek origin and is composed of "pan" meaning many and "phyla" meaning race.

In the 9th and 8th centuries B.C. two waves immigrated to Anatolia from Greece resulting in many cities and centers of civilization being established. Today about 100 of these can be found within the boundaries of Antalya.

From the 7th century to the year 546 B.C. Antalya was under the sovereignty of the Lydians, when it was replaced by that of the Persians. The Macedonian commander Alexander the Great put an end to this sovereignty in 336, when he conquered all the cities of the region (with the exception of one or two places like Termessos). When Alexander died in 323 B.C., a war which was to last for several years started between his generals and this continued until 188 B.C. At this time the Seleucid King Antiochus 3rd was conquered by the King of Bergama and signed the Apamea peace treaty. The King of Bergama Attalos II (159-138 B.C.) rebuilt the existing city and the one we know today as Antalya came into being. From that time on it has been known successively as Attaleis, Adalia, Adalya and finally Antalya.

In 43 A.D. Claudius formed a kingdom uniting Pamphylia and Lycia. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. Antalya lived its most prosperous period. During the 2nd century A.D., Christianity began to spread in the region. While under the sovereignty of Byzantium and up to the 5th and 6th centuries A.D. Antalya is known to have experienced another phase of development. During these centuries the city overflowed beyond the city walls.

In the 7th century A.D. the influence of Moslem Arabs began to make itself felt. The region came under Moslem sovereignty in the year 1085 with the advent of Suleyman Shah, one of the Seljuks of Anatolia. Prior to that, although Antalya was taken by Admiral Karinoglu Fazl in 860 A.D., it shortly thereafter came under the dominion of Byzantium. While in 1103 Antalya was captured by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Komnenos, it again fell to the Turks shortly thereafter. This change of hands occurred six times. From 1120-1206 Antalya was part of Byzantium. In 1206 Antalya fell to Sultan Gyaseddin Keyhusrev I. Upon his death the Christians again took possession of it, but his son Keykavus succeeded in winning it back in a short time.

When the Seljuks became weakened and unable to withstand the pressure exerted by the Ilhanlis, the era of independent "Beyliks" (emirates) began. During this period Antalya remained an independent Beylik for 95 years. From 1308-1426 the Teke Beyleri of the Hamidogullari exercised sovereignty over the region.

Existing sources do not agree on when Antalya came under Ottoman sovereignty. According to some, Antalya became part of Turkish soil in 1391 during the reign of Murat I. Some others claim that the region was conquered by Yildirim Beyazit and was presented as a gift to his son, Sultan Murat. Antalya, which remained under Ottoman dominion until the First Word War, was know to be an important port city under the Teke Sancak.

Following the First Word War, Antalya was occupied on 29 April 1919 by the Italians. During this occupation every effort was made to avoid clashes between the local inhabitants and the occupying force. During the War of Independence, Antalya and the region supported the war on the western front by manpower and funds. It is known that the Italians assisted the Turks, especially from the point of view of intelligence. In early 1921 the Italians began to withdraw and by 5 July 1921 Antalya was completely free of the Italian occupation.

MODERN ANTALYA

The city of Antalya stretches along the bay bearing its name, and is built at 39 meters altitude on a rocky coastline. One is immediately struck by the Taurus mountains rising to 3086 meters above this coastline, intersperesed withvalleys of varying sizes. Land and sea everywhere meet the beaches stretching for miles or the steep cliffs. The Taurus mountains against the blue backdrop of the sky, the precipices and especially the caves close to the sea add another dimension to the beauty of the region.

Small and large streams emerging from the west side of the Taurus water the plains on their journey to the Mediterranean. This translucent running water, cascading into the sea at points along the coast, is another attractive sight.

The plant life of Antalya is extremely varied. Every kind of tropical plant can be found along the coast. Visitors to Antalya are struck by the size attained by the different species of cactus. When you reach the foothills of the Taurus, you will see they are covered in the typical Mediterranean maquis, while the forests are full of thriving oaks and pine trees. The coton and sesame plantations and citrus and banana groves of the plains have a beauty of their own.

In Antalya the four seasons only appear on the calendar, as there is no real winter here, so much so that when in 1985 for the first time in 60 years snow fell, it was front page news.

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