Current Time in Antalya, Turkey

Antalya is the capital of Antalya Province on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, situated on a spectacular bay between the Taurus Mountains and the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. With a population of approximately 1.3 million in the city and over 2.6 million in the greater metropolitan area, Antalya is one of Turkey's fastest-growing cities and the country's premier sun and sea tourism destination, welcoming over 15 million international visitors annually and consistently ranking among the world's most visited cities.

Antalya was founded by the Attalid king Attalus II of Pergamon around 150 BC and named Attaleia in his honor. The city developed into an important port under the Romans, who left significant architectural monuments including Hadrian's Gate, a magnificent triumphal arch erected in 130 AD to honor the visiting Emperor Hadrian. Under Byzantine rule, the city was an important naval and commercial center before the Seljuk Turks captured it in the 13th century, followed by the Ottomans in the 15th century. The old town, known as Kaleici, preserves a remarkably layered archaeological and architectural record of these successive cultures within its compact historic core.

Kaleici, meaning inner castle in Turkish, is Antalya's most atmospheric and culturally rich district. The Roman harbor, enclosed by ancient walls and crowded with wooden gulets and tour boats, is flanked by Byzantine walls, Seljuk minarets, Ottoman houses, and Roman ruins, creating an extraordinary palimpsest of two thousand years of Mediterranean urban life. The Yivli Minaret, a distinctive 13th-century fluted minaret that has become the symbol of the city, rises above the rooftops of the old quarter and is visible from much of the surrounding bay.

The broader Antalya region is known as the Turkish Riviera and encompasses some of the most spectacular coastline in the Mediterranean world. The beaches of Konyaalti and Lara on either side of the city offer wide stretches of pebble and sand beach backed by hotels and resort infrastructure. Further afield, the ancient ruined cities of Perge, Aspendos with its extraordinarily well-preserved Roman theater, Side with its temples, and Termessos perched high in the mountains provide world-class archaeological tourism alongside the beach experience.

The Antalya Museum holds one of the finest collections of classical antiquities in Turkey, encompassing extraordinary finds from the many ancient sites of the surrounding region.

Antalya Havalimani International Airport is one of Turkey's busiest airports, handling tens of millions of passengers annually, mostly European package tourists during the summer season.

Antalya's combination of magnificent ancient history, spectacular natural scenery, ideal Mediterranean climate, and world-class tourism infrastructure make it one of the most complete and satisfying holiday and cultural destinations in the entire Mediterranean basin.