| | All About Antalya / TURKEY Antalya ( Turkish: Antalya) is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey, and the capital city of Antalya Province. Situated on coastal cliffs, Antalya is surrounded by mountains. Development and investment, began in the 1970s, have transformed the city into an international resort. Antalya attracts millions of people with its beautiful nature and historical riches for visiting this city. The combination of the sun, deep blue sea, the mountain covered with trees cannot be seen easily all together everywhere. Antalya Guide has detailed clarification on Antalya, hotels, beaches, shops, transportation, photos, archeological sites etc.
Places to visit in Antalya;
Kaleici (Old Antalya) Kaleici, also known as Old Antalya, is the small historic section at the center of the sprawling modern city which was the Roman town and the Byzantine, then the Seljuk Turkish, finally the Ottoman Turkish town.
The modern and huge city of Antalya didn't really start to appear until after World War II. Until then, Kaleici was Antalya, with its meandering streets, massive stone walls, and picturesque old houses built so close that they often overshadow the narrow lanes.
Its many charming small boutique hotels, pensions and inns offer fine dining in an old-time atmosphere and comfortable, even luxurious accommodations.
Kaleici surrounds and protects the old Roman harbour, which was Antalya's reason for being: even in Roman times, this was the outlet for the produce of the rich alluvial plain that beneath the southern slopes of the Taurus Mountains and stretches east from the city.
Today Kaleici is a protected district with strict regulations on constructing new buildings and with preservation of historic buildings in the area. In Kaleici it is possible to see some fairly ugly modern buildings, but they are being eliminated as the possibilities arise.
There are several entrances to Kaleici, but the most picturesque, historic and the most convenient one is Kalekapisi.
Clock Tower
Only the tower called “ Clock Tower “ has survived through the present day among the towers of the citadel surrounding the city of Antalya. In the past the total number of these towers was 80. In the period of the republic a beautiful Karaalioglu Park built on the cliffs.
Next to the Karaalioglu Park , Hidirlik tower is situated on the cliffs. It is a two storied structure. While the upper floor has a circular plan, its lower floor has a square plan.
This tower’s function was serving for has not been able to be understood. It is claimed to be lighthouse or mausoleum and dates back 2nd century A.D.
Old Harbor
The old harbor of Antalya is a small bay surrounded by the cliffs. In the period of Seljuks its breakwaters were constructed.
Today it is used as a marina. All kinds of services are provided to the small boats and yachts here. From this marina to the places in the near and far vicinity, boat tours are organized.
Inside of the citadel ( the quarters ) surrounding this harbour were restored. Today, it serves its visitors with its pubs, cafes, restaurants, discos and numerous shops within an ambiance of 150 years before.
Yivli Minare
Yivli Minare Mosque: This mosque bears a rectangular plan and has six domes. With multiple domes it belongs to the mosque class. It doesn’t host any single decorative element. Until the construction of the new museum building was completed, it hosted Antalya Museum of Archaeology.
Yivli Minare: It is situated to the east of the mosque and it is a building separate from the mosque. Its base has a square plan made of the cut stones. Its upper structure with an octagonal plan made of bricks. Its blue and dark blue mosaic-tile decorations attract attention. Its serefe ( balcony ) bears stalactites. It was erected between 1219 and 1236 in the period of Seljuk sultan Alaeddin I. Keykubat.
Medrese: A kind of school equivalent to today’s academies. It has four eyvans ( a covered room with three closed sides. Its front side is open to outside or to a courtyard ) and rectangular plan. As in many monuments of the Seljuks it has a stone carved monumental entry gate.
Atabey Medrese: It was constructed in 1239.
Mevlevihane ( a chamber of dervishes ): Mevlevihane comprises a single domed interior surrounded by the rooms and halls.
Turbes ( Tombs ): The first tomb belongs to Zincirkiran Mehmet Bey and dates back 1377. This is a vault in an octagonal plan. The second tomb which known as the tomb of Nigar Hanim is a small structure with a hexagonal plan.
Kesik Minare
Originally it was a Roman Temple and converted to Byzantine church with 5 naves in the form of a domed basilica in 5th century A.D. and was dedicated to Virgin Mary. Later it was made a mosque by Seyhzade ( Sultan’s Son ) Korkut in the first years of 16. century
Hadrianus Gate
It is a monumental gate with three extended archways which was dedicated to the Roman emperor Hadrianus. The two sides which have survived through the present day as undamaged lean against the walls of citadel. In 1960 it was restored.
There are Korinth style ( There are two or three rows of akanthus leaves on its lower and middle sections and there are helixes on the upper section which form volutes at the corners. This style of heading is the one most preferred in Roman monuments ) columns on both sides of the building and at the points corresponding to the rear sections of the arches, placed towards the outside of the building.
All these columns are connected to the main structure by the lentos. Epistylos ( the upper part of the columns ) fingers of the arches and inside of the arches all bear rich decorations
Antalya Archaeological Museum
This museum is one of the most important museums in Turkey and exhibits mainly the remains belonging to Antalya region, but there are also many monuments which were provided from the neighbor regions. The sections of the museum are below:
Section of Nature History: This section hosts the fossils of the living creatures. These fossils lived in the geological ages.
Section of prehistory: In this section pins, bone and stone tools, decorations used in Mezzolithic and Palaeolitic age are exhibited. Most of these are from the Karain Cave.
Other parts of the section host numerous remains of the Chalcolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages.
Section of the small foundings: In this section the monuments which date back to the period between 1200-1300 BC are exhibited.
Section of the small foundings: In this section the monuments belonging to the period between 4th century BC and 6th century AD are exhibited. This section hosts a display cabinet dedicated to the monuments taken out of the subgermed stes. Bronze statues of Herakles and Apollon are among the interesting pieces as well as the marble statue of Priapos and the head of Attis.
Hall of the gods ( the section of ideal sculpture ): In this section the statues are the copies made in Roman period of the original monuments of the sculptors of Arcaic, classical and Hellenistic period. Among these are the gods and goddesses of many Hellen Roman Pantheons especially Zeus and also the statues of Isis and Serapis , the gods of the ancient Egypt civilization. All the monuments in this section are the findings from the ancient city which called Perge.
Section of Emperors: This section hosts the important persons of the time and the statues and busts of some Roman emperors.Most of them date back to 2nd century AD. Roughly all the monuments which are exhibited in this section are the original monuments unearthed in the ancient city of Perge.
Hall of sarcophaguses: In this hall generally dating back to 2nd century AD sarcophaguses and stels are exhibited.
Hall of mosaics: The mosaics found in the ancient cities of Seleukia and Xanthos ( Lykia Region ) are exhibited in the pool in the middle of this hall.
The instruments used by the ancient sculptors and the monuments of various periods are exhibited in the parts surrounding the pool.
The hall of icons: This hall hosts icons which were collected in Antalya region. These icons date back 18th and 19th Centuries.
Section of Numismatics: In this section various coins exhibited. These coins have been used in the region from the ancient periods up to the present day. Among these are the coins minted in the ancient cities of the region such as Perge and Side.
Hall of Perge: Some statues and friezes brought from the ancient city of Perge and also from the theater of the city are exhibited in this hall.
The sections of Ethnography and Turkish Islamic monuments: Many artistic monuments and also the monuments of the daily use, ranging from the tiles to the manually written books, from the weapons to the carpets, from the ornaments to the dresses which reflect the fashion of their time are exhibited. These monuments belong to the periods of Ottoman, Beylicates and Sejuks.
The open air exhibition section of the museum: This section is in fact the garden of the museum. In this area hosts the exhibition of various stone carved monuments of the Roman period unearthed in the region.
Altinbesik Dudensu Cave: You must first come to Ibradi over Manavgat – Akseki to reach this cave. And from here Urunlu village, 7 km far , is reached. Altinbesik Dudensu cave is 2 km distant from the village. There are two underground lakes in this cave, one of which is situated at the entrance ( 125 m long ), large galleries and natural bridges. This cave whic is 1600 m long hosts rock formations bearing interesting shapes.
Beldibi Cave: Beldibi cave is located on the Antalya – Kemer highway on the feet of Beydagi. It is about 25 km from Antalya and 100 m from the shore. Cave is at the bottom of the limestone rocks extending in to the sea having an altitude of 25 m. It is comprised 2 sections. It shows that Beldibi Cave had been used since the Paleolithic Age, but the most beautiful findings of the cave belongs to the Mesolithic Age.
On the Cave’s walls the stylized pictures were found, along with the small stone and bone carved tools belonging to the same period, that is to 15000 years before. 50000years ago while the pictures of the human of the Paleolithic Age were made with a realistic point of view, 15000 years ago the pictures made in Mesolithic Age were stylized.
Among the pictures in this cave which were made with manganese oxide dyes and natural iron are the figures of the chamois and the scenes of hunting, a figure, made of a circle, depicting the mother goddess divided into four sections with dots, and the figures of human or magician stylized with the cross shape.
Damlatas Cave: The best known and most easy to reach cave is Damlatas. This cave situated specifically at the point of connection of the peninsula with the land and on the west of the peninsula where Alanya citadel is located.
Highly moist and tepid air inside the cave is believed to do good for the asthma. Shapes inside the cave and The stalagmites and stalactites in various colors are the formations which may inspire today’s artists, which exhibit the unequalled superiority of the nature in art, and which evoke admiration.
Karain Cave: It housed the humans, who lived on collecting and hunting as the southern sections of Anatolia were slightly more temperate as compared to the northern sections during the late ice age. For these humans who lived on collecting and hunting these caves became the natural houses.
This cave is situated about 27 km to the north west of Antalya. It is at an elevation of 150 m from the travertine plain, on the slopes of the Mount Katra ( Sam ).
It is comprised of 3 interconnected large halls. Karain Cave was continuously used by the human starting from around 50000BC during the prehistoric Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze ages. Karain Cave is the most interesting cave with this characteristic among those revealed in Anatolia to house settlement during the prehistoric ages.
Significant remains like various instruments belonging to the prehistoric ages, the fossilized skulls of the human of an even earlier age ( Homo Sapiens ) and the skulls of Neanderthal man have been unearthed at the excavations made in Karain Cave. These remains are exhibited especially in Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and in the local museum adjacent to the cave and also numerous museums of Turkey. Moreover, Prehistoric Animals’ skeletons which do not exit today anymore which lived in that period have been revealed and significant information has been obtained pertaining to the climate, fauna and flora of Anatolia in the Pleistocene age.
Kocain Cave: It is 47 km far from Antalya. You must take the road separating towards the north on the 30. km of Antalya – Burdur highway, pass through Camili and Killik villages, and reach Ahirtas village to get to Kocain Cave. It is 1 hour 30 min from the village by walking. Cave’s length is 633 m. It is comprised of 2 giant halls. Located at a point of 150 m. From the entry there are 4 plastered cisterns belonging to the Byzantine period.
Lara / Antalya The sandy Lara Beach lies roughly 12 km to the east. Lara beach has a blue flag. The beach begins east of Antalya's cliffs, just past the Lower Duden Waterfall and east of the waterfall a point of land extends into the Gulf of Antalya. Restaurants, hotels and other services host visitors who swim mostly from platforms and docks. The real sandy beach starts on the east side of the point and extends for several kilometers. Most parts of the beach are backed by commercial services offering sun umbrellas, beach chairs, snacks and drinks, showers and perhaps even some entertainment.
You can easily reach Lara Beach from the center of Antalya by minibus. The minibuses run all the way along the Lara beach to the end of the public access area.
Even on cheap holidays to Lara Beach you can expect the best of Turkey's new Mediterranean Riviera, with a great beach lapped by crystal blue waters and a whole range of exhilarating water sports and superb hotels like the upmarket Lara Beach Hotel.
All inclusive holidays to Lara Beach means you'll be able to make the most of the nightlife that centres around the main hotels and the local small restaurants and bars, cafes nearby. But if you like to have a party, spend a night in Antalya, just along the coast.
Holidays in Lara Beach certainly give the opportunity to make the most of the sun and sand formula and also classic sea, with a touch of luxury, modern, sightseeing and sizzling nightlife thrown in.
Lara has become popular for its crystal clear water just 10 years ago and developed very fast with tourism. In this area many hotels were built in 10 years. Today, Lara region is one of the most popular touristic areas in Turkey with fascinating sandy beach and crystal clear water. Kemer / Antalya Kemer is located about 43 kilometres from Antalya. It is really very attractive village at the outskirts of the Taurus Mountains. Kemer has nine pretty villages. The population of Kemer is roughly around 10.000 and it has a coast of 52 kms. In Kemer the forest, the sea and the mountains blend with each other and it offers an ideal environment for a wonderful holiday.
Many developments had been in Kemer recently. The investments made for the development of Tourism Industry, has a big important role in Kemer's economy. This town is an actual sample of the urbanization. Kemer is a quite and comfortable holiday district, with ; easy and organized transportation, completed infrastructure, , all utilities of communication and well working Municipality. Today, Kemer is well known place and has important touristic town in tourism.
Kemer marina is fully equipped and it has facilities for all activities so that yachtsmen can enjoy the beaches and bays south of the town. Shopping lovers will delight in the wonderful range of high quality souvenirs for sale.
Kemer's setting, however, is incredibly fascinating and beautiful, and it supposedly had its origins as a Lycian settlement. Many hotels in Kemer offer their own activities and entertainments for guests, and several have private beach access.
On the 16 km west of the touristic town of Kemer there is an ancient Lycian city Phaselis.
Modern resort town Kemer has a vibrant club and disco culture. With many restaurants, bars, blue flag beaches and a 180-capacity yacht marina. Popular coastal villages such as Beldibi, Göynük, Kiris, Çamyuva, Çayova, Aslanbucak, Kuzdere, Beycik and Çirali also provide many exciting nightlife options. Belek / Antalya Belek is a truly paradise for tourists on the shore of the Mediterranean. It is located 30 kilometers on the east side of Antalya province. The region was proclaimed the "Belek Tourism Center". In 1984 Belek's natural beauty was discovered. In later years, Belek became what it is today, thanks to cooperation between the Belek Tourism Investors Association and the Tourism Ministry, a paradise on earth.
The region has first-class holiday villages, 32 four or five-stars hotels and five golf courses. All of the facilities that have been designated first-class provide an ideal atmosphere for families and meticulously offer many services and opportunities aimed at pleasing their guests. All the facilities offer floodlit tennis courts, play areas, completely equipped health and fitness centers, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and many more possibilities. Alanya / Antalya Alanya is situated to the east of Antalya. In Alanya the magnificent Hill which has a height of 300 m. is very impressive and located on a peninsula which looks like the southward extension of the mountains which have come very close to the sea. On the west and on the east of the section where this steep peninsula connects to the shore is a bay with very fine sands lies a long and wide beach giving the impression that is continuing endlessly.
Today’s Alanya is located on the plain lying between the Toros mountain on the backside on the northern feet of this citadel hill and the peninsula on the front side. The city has 2 different beaches each with a wonderful nature and one of them lies as still as a lake on the east, and the other faces the open sea on the west.
There is marina and modern sea port inside the bay, which also hosts the ancient sea port, Kizilkule erected by the Seljuks in Middle Age and the shipyard. This marina is capable of meeting all the requirements of small boats and yachts. From here to the shores of Mediterranean and Aegean Sea daily or long term tours are organized You must advance 4 km along the road separating from Antalya-Alanya highway at the 68. km towards the south to reach the ancient city of Side.
Side / Antalya The ancient Side was founded on a plain peninsula which extends in to the Mediterranean. Today’s Selimiye and here the ancient city are within one another. The cafes, restaurants, shops, bars and the village houses some of which have been converted to accommodation places like pensions all stand together with ruins. You need to walk around the streets of the town for a fairly long time to be able to find some important buildings of the ancient city. As if they want to hide these monuments from the eyes likewise many of the monuments belonging to the old time periods have been flooded by continuously heaping sands and the plants peculiar to the Mediterranean.
Within a short time period, the places which are cleaned by the men are again filled with these merciless and obstinate natural invaders.
However sands filling the ancient seaport along with a great portion of the shores of the peninsula hava at the same time let this place become a nice beach with an unequalled beauty. Places to Visit in Side - Side City Walls Side City Walls
Main gate and other gates Main gate and other gates
City fountain (Nymphaeum) City fountain (Nymphaeum)
Aqueduct Aqueduct
Columned streets and quarters Columned streets and quarters
The building with sacred fountain The building with sacred fountain
Houses with Peristyl Houses with Peristyl
Commercial agora and The Temple of Tykhe Commercial agora and The Temple of Tykhe
Theatre Theatre
Agora Baths (Side Museum) Agora Baths (Side Museum)
Monumental Gate Monumental Gate
Vespasianus monumental fountain Vespasianus monumental fountain
The fountain with three pools The fountain with three pools
Water Cistern Water Cistern
Dionysus Temple Dionysus Temple
Harbor Street Harbor Street
Theater’s Basilica Theater’s Basilica
Harbor Baths Harbor Baths
Apollo Temple Apollo Temple
Aspendos / Antalya The ancient city of Aspendos is situated 4 km from Antalya-Alanya highway and almost in the middle of this highway. The city is founded near Koprucay ( Eurymedon ). The ships were able to reach the city from the sea owing to this stream which was used as a canal in the ancient time. Today the city is 15 km. from the sea. Aspendos Theater has survived to our day fairly undamaged and Aspendos became famous with this theater.
This structure with an extraordinarily perfect acoustics hosts every year international and local concerts and festivals.
The king of Aspendos announces that he will organize a competition to see who will serve much for the city and says that the winner will marry with his daughter. The artisans who hear this immediately start studying. Finally when the deadline comes, the king analyses everyone’s effort one by one and chooses two candidates. First candidate successes to bring water to the city from far corners of the city by the help of water canals.
The second candidate builds a theatre. When the king is about to decide on the first candidate he wants to analyse theatre for the last time. While he is walking about the top floor of the gallery he hears a voice calling from deep and continuously saying: “the daughter of the king must be mine”. Amazed by the event he searches for the voice but is unable to find where it comes from. This person is absolutely the architect of the theatre who is so proud of the acoustic of his masterpiece and talking on the scene in a feeble pipe. At the end, the architect wins the beautiful daughter and the wedding ceremony is held on this theatre.
This story is about the most important antique work of Aspendos, Aspendos Antique Theatre.
Going to the eastward of Antalya, one can reach Serik Borough in 39 km, and from there to Eurymedon river in 7 km. Aspendos, situated near Eurymedon river is founded by Aka civilization in 10 BC. and is one of the richest cities of the antique age. The theatre in here is built up by Roman in 2 AC. The city is founded upon two hills one is small and one is huge.
The amphitheatre in Aspendos, that is wanted to be conquered by many for ages since being connected to Kucukcay river to the harbour is the one which is most secured till today and therefore is an important open-air theatre.
This theatre is the most ancient and solid sample of the Roman Theatres in Anatolia. On an epitaph on the south parados it is written that the theatre was built by the architect Zeno, the son of an Aspendian called Theodoros in the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AC). According to this epigraph, Aspendian people appreciated Zeno and awarded him with a great garden near the stadium. Places to Visit in Aspendos - Aspendos city walls and gates Aspendos city walls and gates
Agora Agora
Basilica Basilica
Shopping Centre Shopping Centre
Bouleuterion Bouleuterion
Nymphaion Nymphaion
Exedra Exedra
Marble street, archway and the temple Marble street, archway and the temple
Aqueduct Aqueduct
Baths and Gymnasium Baths and Gymnasium
Theatre Theatre
Stadium Stadium
Necropolis Necropolis
Termesos / Antalya Termessos: On the slope of the Mount Gulluk, inside the Gulluk National Park, Termessos was founded. The natural life here is under the preservation and it exhibits extraordinary beauties. It is difficult to get to the site of foundation of the city.
Gulluk Mount ( called Mount Solymos in the ancient age ) is situated 30km from Antalya. It gave its name to the park also.
Before the Greek colonization, the people of Solymos of the Luwi origin lived in the region. Then Greek people came and settled here and integrated with the native populace to found the city Termessos inside the park.
Solymos ( Gulluk ) Mount’s peak is at an altitude of 1265m from the sea level.
There are formations of the caves under the ground and canyons on the ground because of the limestone structure of the region.
In the national park there are beauties such as the steep rock cliffs of the Mount Gulluk and the Mecine Canyon with walls reaching a height of 600m. Mediterranean Climate plants cover the region which is made of the thick forests and maquis.
It has natural environment with rare species of wild animals such as: chamois, fallow, deer and eagle etc.
There are picnic sites in National Park. For the needs of visitors buffets and cafeterias are available with enough capacity Places to visit in Termessos: - The city walls and tower at the entrance The city walls and tower at the entrance
King’s Road King’s Road
North-eastern necropolis North-eastern necropolis
Cisterns and aqueducts Cisterns and aqueducts
Hadrianus Propylon and the Temple Hadrianus Propylon and the Temple
The walls and the gate in lower part The walls and the gate in lower part
Walls in the upper part Walls in the upper part
Gymnasium Gymnasium
Agora and the surrounding monuments Agora and the surrounding monuments
Stoa of Attalos, large and small temples in Korinth style Stoa of Attalos, large and small temples in Korinth style
Stoa of Osbaras Stoa of Osbaras
Mausoleion – Heroon Mausoleion – Heroon
Odeion or Bouleuterion Odeion or Bouleuterion
Zeus Solymeus Temple Zeus Solymeus Temple
Artemis Temple Artemis Temple
Small Korinth style Temple Small Korinth style Temple
Theatre Theatre
The house of the founder The house of the founder
Road with columns Road with columns
Necropolises and the monumental graves Necropolises and the monumental graves
Monumental grave of Alketas Monumental grave of Alketas
Monumental grave of Agethemeros Monumental grave of Agethemeros
The grave with lions The grave with lions
Armasta Mausoleum Armasta Mausoleum
Mamastis Mausoleum Mamastis Mausoleum
Phaselis / Antalya Phaselis is an ancient Lycian city in Antalya and located 3 km north to Tekirova, 12 km before the Kemer and about 56 km away from Antalya. Phaselis was built by the Rhodians in 700 BC. Its wealth come from commerce between Egypt, Greece, Asia, and Phoenicia. It has 3 harbors. The "Protected (Sun) Harbor", the "Battle Harbor" and the "Northern Harbor". Once you have finished visiting the ruins, you should go swimming in any one of fascinating bays of Phaselis.
The sheltered pebbled and sandy beaches around the bays are delightful and the waters here are calm and very safe for young swimmers and children.
Places to visit in Phaselis: - Harbor Columned Road Hadrianus Gate Theatre Agora and Hadrianus Agora of Domitianus Byzantine Agora Small Baths and Latrina Large baths and Gymnasium Aqueduct Temples Necropolis Acropolis
Olympos / Antalya Its name is probably derived from Olympos mountain roughly 15 km north of the city.
Olympos is fascinating, not just for its ruins that are fragmentary and widely scattered amidst the thick greenery of wild grapevines, bay trees, flowering oleander, wild figs and pines, but for its archeological site just inland from a beautiful beach along the course of a stream which runs through a rocky gorge.
It is between Adrasan and Kemer. A plate on Antalya after passing Phaselis - Kumluca road, shows Olympos road. The city, which is found on 2nd century BC, is emptied on 6th century AD or it is estimated the city was abandoned by the 15th century.
It is delightful to feel as though discovering the mysterious site for the first time and walk through the overgrown park. In these days most ruins seem to be so artificially preserved that some of the magic of their age disappears.
There is no need a guide or for in-depth historical information while traveling to Olympos. However, an understanding of the city’s history will make each historical ruin you see and each step you take and more enjoyable and enlightening.
The ancient port city of Olympos was one of the members of the Lycian Federation in Lycian times.
Because of the wealth of the city, Olympos had three seats in the federation. It was an important Lycian city by the 2nd century BC. Strabon mentioned that Olympos had 3 votes in the Lycian League. The Olympians worshipped the god of fire, Hephaestos. Till the end of this period the city was subject to raids by pirates. Duden Waterfall / Antalya The magnificent place at Duden Waterfall is about 10 kilometers distance to the beaches South East of Antalya and can easily be reached by public transportations or with a rented car on well prepared asphalt roads. Over here the river Duden is leaving a higher plateau of the Taurus mountains by falling about 15 m deep and 20 m wide onto a lower plateau next to Antalya. Because of the raw ingredients in the water, huge amounts of Tuff stone ( volcanic ) materials have formed the river bed as well as a cave below the waterfall.
On the entrance they charge entry fee and you can get into a nice green park with botanic garden, open tables and benches inviting you for a picnic. Always you can listen the sound of the falling water shimmering beautiful ice blue through the trees. All the area is kept in nice condition in peace and the view onto the waterfall is fascinating.
Some stairways leading down into the valley where people can walk along the river. Some other springs deliver more and more water to the Duden river, so this is falling into the valley as well. Because of all the Tuff minerals in the water there are some place where stalagmites and stalactites are still growing today, the heart of speleologists would immediately start running in higher frequencies.
For sure highlight of this sight seeing event still is the big waterfall which is giving steam of water and a lot of noise. The waterfall colud be watched from the back side as well. There is one more stairway leading up to the walkway of the park again. Total length of the cave is about 40 m. Kursunlu Waterfall / Antalya About 40 km to the North-East of Antalya and North of ancient ruins of Perge the amazing waterfall of Kursunlu can be found easly. Kursunlu Waterfall is little smaller then the Duden Waterfall but much nicer in its natural surrounding this place offers nice walking possibilities along the river.
All the picnic areas and the walk ways along the Kursunlu waterfall are kept very natural. All visitors loving to walk in the nature would prefer this place which is quiet peacefull and silent, offers a lovely atmosphere of trees turtles and birds. On the way to Kursunlu there is nice smelling pine forest, and the parking is surrounded by huge trees offering shadow and cool air. The way to the waterfall on well kept the amazing view onto the river bed and natural walk ways and makes everyone forget the little longer way to the waterfall. Along the river you can find different picnic spots.
The amount of water falling into the valley is smaller then at Duden, but they are creating some natural small lakes crowded by trouts and many different animals. Some silent spots are places where turtles can be watched. | |