Turkiye 2023: Surprising Antalya, part 3
It was a late afternoon tour around the Old Town Antalya that we signed up for on Guru Walk and the meeting spot was at a restaurant past the Hadrian's Gate.
Hadrian's Gate is a memorial gate built in the name of Roman Emperor Hadrian upon his visit to the city in 130 CE/AD. It has three entry arches and two colonnadede facades.
The gentleman in black was our guide and the tour consisted of 7 of us. According to the guide, no one lives inside the Old Town anymore. The locals don't live here anymore, although the buildings are all commercial in purpose. There are hotels as well inside the old town. And a lot of cats.
Cobblestone street, colorful and interesting buildings.
He took us to the kitschiest place I've seen so far. I don't know if it's an antique store, cafe or bar. It has a lot of stuff. You could take your time inspecting everything on the walls, in the cabinets, etc.
Could be a museum too.
Their story:
Back outside:
My friend about to make some alley cats happy.
Don't know what this mural is about.
A lot of eating establishments here.
The banana blossom interested one of the ladies.
The Taurus Mountains.
The Hidirlik Tower is one of the symbols of the city along with Hadrian's Gate. From this vantage point, you can see the beautiful
views of Antalya Bay and the Taurus Mountains. A very popular spot for sunset watching, but we were late coming here.
The tower's function is not certain. It was thought to be a tomb of an important person. However, since it's located on a cliff near the port, it might have functioned as a lighthouse. Also for some time, they thought it might have been used as a church.
When the lights come up, the Old Town becomes livelier I think.
The tour ran long and since we know the kitchen in the hotel (which by the way has an incredible breakfast and dinner selections) would close, we asked if we could leave early. The guide said the tour had reached its end.
We took a taxi back to the hotel and forturnately for us, we were dropped off at the doorstep.
And while enjoying the fabulous food, it was a bonus to learn that the hotel's sponsored Jazz Festival could be seen from the dining area.
This was a satisfying day in Antalya - there's plenty to see and enjoy. We haven't even seen the downtown area yet.
Hadrian's Gate is a memorial gate built in the name of Roman Emperor Hadrian upon his visit to the city in 130 CE/AD. It has three entry arches and two colonnadede facades.
The gentleman in black was our guide and the tour consisted of 7 of us. According to the guide, no one lives inside the Old Town anymore. The locals don't live here anymore, although the buildings are all commercial in purpose. There are hotels as well inside the old town. And a lot of cats.
Cobblestone street, colorful and interesting buildings.
He took us to the kitschiest place I've seen so far. I don't know if it's an antique store, cafe or bar. It has a lot of stuff. You could take your time inspecting everything on the walls, in the cabinets, etc.
Could be a museum too.
Their story:
Back outside:
My friend about to make some alley cats happy.
Don't know what this mural is about.
A lot of eating establishments here.
The banana blossom interested one of the ladies.
The Taurus Mountains.
The Hidirlik Tower is one of the symbols of the city along with Hadrian's Gate. From this vantage point, you can see the beautiful
views of Antalya Bay and the Taurus Mountains. A very popular spot for sunset watching, but we were late coming here.
The tower's function is not certain. It was thought to be a tomb of an important person. However, since it's located on a cliff near the port, it might have functioned as a lighthouse. Also for some time, they thought it might have been used as a church.
When the lights come up, the Old Town becomes livelier I think.
The tour ran long and since we know the kitchen in the hotel (which by the way has an incredible breakfast and dinner selections) would close, we asked if we could leave early. The guide said the tour had reached its end.
We took a taxi back to the hotel and forturnately for us, we were dropped off at the doorstep.
And while enjoying the fabulous food, it was a bonus to learn that the hotel's sponsored Jazz Festival could be seen from the dining area.
This was a satisfying day in Antalya - there's plenty to see and enjoy. We haven't even seen the downtown area yet.
Thank you for an amazing virtual tour! Loved it!
ReplyDeleteWow this is amazing - your photos make me want to travel there myself!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2025/03/more-floral-fantasies-philly-flower-show.html
That really was surprising -- your post is well-titled! Not what I would have expected in that country. That's what is so good about reading blogs about travels. Thanks for the tour! A fun and fascinating day.
ReplyDeleteTruly amazing , Great series of photos, Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting.
ReplyDeleteA fun and fascinating post
ReplyDeleteLove the kitschy places you saw. What a memorable trip!
ReplyDelete...lots of fun things to see, thanks for taking me alomg!
ReplyDeleteThat would have been such an interesting day for me. I would have been taking pictures of the banana blossoms, too, and the mystery mural (apparently the word on the signpost is not in the Turkish language) with the polar bear has me intrigued. What a fun city!
ReplyDeletehave a great weekend ~
ReplyDeleteYou see all the great sights!!
ReplyDeleteOh my what an amazing fun-filled trip! Nice friend to help out the alley cats, although I understand in Turkey they are beloved and well cared for by everyone. Actually it's good to see that it is beautiful and normal there considering that they have a sort of dictator. I'm looking for hints of how to live a good full life under the restrictions I feel coming down on the US at this time. Hopefully they won't be permanent. Unless you friend aloha
ReplyDeleteSorry! Bless you not "unless you" š
DeleteThis cyber tour was amazing!
ReplyDeleteEvery picture lovely and interesting! I would love to visit there.
ReplyDelete