Since the founding of the republic in 1923 as the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has been secular and Kemalist in orientation. The country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, initiated a modernization of Turkey through social and legal reforms modelled on various European nation states.
The current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been at the helm of the country since 2003. Since around 2012, he has led the country in an increasingly authoritarian manner. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press in particular are considered to be severely restricted. The currency and debt crisis triggered by its economic policies as well as high inflation have continued since 2018, which makes Turkey quite attractive from a tourist perspective.
The culture of today's Turkey is a fusion of the ancient Turkish nomadic culture of Central Asia and Siberia, the Greco-Roman era, the culture in the Ottoman Empire with its Byzantine, Persian, Arabic, Caucasian, Armenian and Kurdish influences, as well as the strong European direction since the founding of the Republic Ataturk. The cultural centre of the country is the metropolis of Istanbul.
With the political changes, the content of Turkish literature also changed. Early representatives include Fakir Baykurt, Sabahattin Ali, Sait Faik Abasıyanık and Yaşar Kemal, who put ordinary people at the centre of their work. With the turn to describing living conditions, social and political criticism of the state is inevitable. The state reacts with censorship and political violence. Authors like Nâzım Hikmet, Yaşar Kemal and Aziz Nesin spend many years in Turkish prisons because of the persecution of their publications. Kemal therefore referred to the prison as a “school of Turkish literature”.
Turkish cuisine has also influenced Greek and the rest of the Balkan cuisine - including etymology. For example, tzaziki comes from the Turkish cacık, and Ćevapčići comes from kabapcik. Yogurt also comes from Turkish Yoğurt. Doner kebab is made from beef, veal or poultry. In Turkey, but also in other countries, the kebab is also served on a plate.
Our journey through Southeast Anatolia also led to the biblical Antioch (Antakya) on the Asi, the river which in ancient times was called Orontes and is mentioned in biblical records.
Apamea on Orontes river: Originally the city was called Pharnakes, after the conquest by Alexander the Great it was also called Pella for a short time.
For the past two centuries, the region of the rising sun, the Middle East, often referred to by Europeans as the Orient, has been an essential part of archaeological research and the history of human development and their settlement areas.
Long before the Turkish colonization of Anatolia and the two-stream country came about, there were successive high cultures that ruled the country. The earliest traces of human settlement in the region were discovered southwest of Antakya:
The empire of Alexander the Great had been passed to his diadochi and was divided among them, historically followed the Seleucids as the ruling dynasty, another great power of Mesopotamia.
Leaving Antalya towards Burdur and Isparta on the 650/350 road, you will reach the fork for Korkutelli or Termessos after about 11 kilometers.
In the ancient city of Sagalassos, which dates back to 25 BC when getting under Roman rule, archaeologists working there examined a bathing complex and a latrine integrated into it,
Once again we want to use the still wonderful warm sunny days in December to visit some more destinations from our seemingly endless list of places to visit or short travel destinations.
The Salda Lake is the most famous and clearest crater lake in southern Turkey, the lake is located within the Yeşilova district in Burdur district, only about 150 kilometers from Antalya.
Antalya Airport (IATA: AYT, ICAO: LTAI) is 10 km (6 miles) east of the city center of Antalya, Turkey. The airport is operated in Turkey's primary holiday destination located on the country’s Mediterranean coast. The airport is big and modern, built to accommodate the millions of passengers who come to Turkey's Mediterranean beaches in summer.
Located on the western end of the Mediterranean Coast of Turkey, Antalya has been one of the most important commercial ports of Anatolia throughout its long history, has constantly been settled after second century AD and hosted many voyagers as part of their itinerary.
This walk can be completed within a morning or afternoon hike, or as long as you want it to enjoy it! Start at the Kaleiçi (Old Quarter) and walk down to the ancient marina or, if you wish, start at the marina itself.
Besides the historical structures with Hadrian city gate and the city walls, there are three traditional old trolley´s at work in Antalya. These trains belonged to the former Nuremberg trolley. A line of about 5 kilometers parallel to the coastline was allocated for the traditional Antalya trolleys in 1999.
The Suna & İnan Kıraç Research Institute on Mediterranean Civilizations, within the Vehbi Koç Foundation, is an international cultural institution chartered to encourage and support researches to study, document, protect, and restore the historical, archaeological, ethnographical and cultural assets of Antalya and her environs; and to elucidate the region’s deep-rooted relations with the Mediterranean region.
The magnificent place of Düden Waterfall is about 10 kilometers distance to the beaches South East of Antalya away and can easily be reached by dolmus or with a rented car on well prepared asphalt roads.
The Hadrians Gate (Turkish: Üçkapılar = "the three gates") - is a significant landmark of Antalya, the ancient Attaleia, next to the famous harbor in the old town center of Kaleici.
Antalya offers an almost secret pearl, the old center of the city, Kaleiçi (Inner Castle) in addition to internationally renown Airport, Hadrian’s Gate and the Fluted Minaret:
Several times we have used our trips to Antalya to take a break at the amazing waterfall of Kursunlu, about 40 kilometers to the South-East of Antalya and to the South of the ancient ruins of Perge.
Once visiting Antalya, please do not miss to visit to the archaeological museum of Antalya. It is located on the western outskirts, about 2 km from the center and was founded in 1919. If you are close to the old center called Kaleici, you may even use the old Nürnberg tram to get to museum.
Suna & İnan Kıraç Kaleiçi Museum is housed in two historic buildings in Kaleiçi, the old town of Antalya, registered as cultural heritage.