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Antalya is the jewel of this beautiful land
of 300 days of sunshine, crystal clear waters, spectacular
mountains, featuring excellent hotels, resort areas, and world
class meeting facilities. Yachting, golfing, rafting, mountain
trekking, skiing are some of the sports activities possible,
while Greco-Roman antique sites lie almost next to each other
along the Mediterranean shores of the area at
Side,
Perge,
Phaselis,
Olympos,
Myra
(the birthplace of St. Nicholas) and the sunken cities of
Kekova to name but a few of them.
From Antalya's exquisite harbor, backed by the soaring peaks of
the Lycian mountains and overhung by one of Turkey's finest
Ottoman old quarters, we make our way to the Greco-Roman city of
Perge.
Like the other cities of the Pamphylian plain,
Perge
was extremely wealthy, and its citizens could afford to build on
the grandest scale. Among the many attractions at the site are
an ornate theatre, a remarkably well preserved stadium, a city
gate flanked by high towers, two monumental bath-complexes, a
supremely elegant agora, and a long, colonnaded street with a
water channel running down its center. From
Perge
we move on to the world-renowned theatre of
Aspendos, which is in such great
condition that it is still used for concerts and operas. The
afternoon will be spent exploring Antalya, including its fine
Archeological Museum.
In brief look into Antalya....
This excursion takes us to
Phaselis
and Olympos,
two of the most romantic and atmospheric ancient sites in
Turkey’s south coast, and the unique natural phenomenon known as
the
Chimera.
The ruins of
Phaselis
stand on an unspoilt, pine-forested promontory surrounded by
three harbors. They include a well-preserved aqueduct, a
theatre, three agoras and an Arch of Hadrian, but the most
impressive feature of the site is a magnificent paved street
flanked by steps and statue bases.
Unlike Phaselis,
the ruins of
Olympos
are hidden in a narrow valley that opens out onto one of the
finest beaches in
Turkey.
As well as a theatre, a Roman bath and an impressive temple
dedicated to the emperor Antoninus Pius, there is a highly
unusual early Byzantine structure with floor mosaics and
frescoes, which was probably a bishop’s palace. But it is the
Chimera
that makes
Olympos
truly remarkable. Here, on a bare mountain side above the
charming village of
Cirali,
at least half a dozen bright orange flames break from crevices
in the rock, heating the air and attracting cats and tame birds.
The place derives its name from a fire-breathing monster that
was defeated and driven underground by the hero Bellerophon
riding his winged steed Pegasus, but you do not need to know
anything about ancient mythology to find it magical.
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