Best rated Belek destinations and vacation tricks and tips: While you’re in the Köprülü Canyon National Park area, don’t miss the ruins of Selge, which sit high up in the Taurus Mountains, 74 kilometers northwest from Side Kemer, scattered amid the village of Altinkaya Köyü. It’s said that the town was founded by the blind prophet Kalchas of the Trojan War with the rest of his army from Troy. Until the Roman period, the settlement’s remote location protected the town from foreign rule, yet trade flourished thanks to good relations with the towns of coastal Pamphylia. The extensive ruins contain many interesting remains, and history buffs could easily spend all day poking about here. For those with a little less time, the principal attraction not to miss is the Roman theater, with its 10,000 seats, and the adjacent stadium. Some distance to the southwest are the remnants of the Temple of Zeus and Temple of Artemis while scattered farther east are the ruins of the agora. Discover even more information on Antalya excursions.
The word cini is used to define pottery art during Ottoman period. It became popular in 15th century. The word Cini is derived from the word Cin, which stands for China. The porcelaine that are introduced by Chineese tradesmen were combined with traditional Ottoman arabesque with Chinese patterns. Cini art started in the town called Iznik with cobalt blue under a colourless lead glaze tile and pottery products. In the 16th century the decoration of the pottery changed in style, Additional colours like Turqoise, Green, Purple and Red were added. Ephesus and nearby ancient cities like Miletus have been known with pottery making for many centuries. This art from is trying to be continued by a local entrepreneur nearby Ephesus Ancient City. Today cini is one of the dying art forms of Turkey. A visit to Efes Cini workshop can be added to your private tour of Ephesus.
Alanya was once a famous pirate harbor in antiquity. Pompeius, the enemy of Julius Ceasar, in the Roman Civil war defeated the pirates. Nowadays, pirate themed boats in Alanya’s harbor are a reminder of these times long gone. There is non-stop entertainment on the cruises with music and animations, as well as many swimming breaks in the blue waters of the Turkish Riviera. Alara Han is on the Antalya-Alanya route, in Çakallar village in the town of Okurcalar . Alara Han is a historical caravanserai built in the 13th century by the Seljuks. It’s an exceptional masterpiece awaiting visitors seeking discoveries about the cultural heritage of Alanya. The nearby Alara Castle was once a majestic fortress along the southern silk road in Turkey.
The legendary Cleopatra Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Turkey, clearly worth visiting during your trip to Antalya. With its crystal-clear water and numerous water sport activities, it attracts about 2 million tourists a year and gets more and more popular every year. The Alanya Archeology Museum is located in the very center of Alanya, on Ismet Hilmi Balcı Street behind Alanya Castle and Damlataş Cave. Alanya is a city with a very rich historical heritage in every aspect. However, you don’t have a lot of chances to visit a cultural places in Alanya. Although the best cultural museum in the region is the Antalya Museum, followed by the Side Archaeology Museum, the Alanya Archaeology Museum is the best witness of the area’s heritage. It’s located in the heart of the city. The Archaeology Museum in Alanya exhibits bronze, marble, terra-cotta, and glass artifacts, mosaics and coin collections belonging to the Archaic and Classical periods, and also Turkish Islamic works of art from the Seljuk and Ottoman Periods.
Terrace Houses have gone down in history as a neighborhood located in the heart of Ephesus and appealing to the elite part of the city. Although there are no civilian residential areas in the center of ancient cities, Terrace Houses in Ephesus were an exception. The foundation of the Terrace Houses was laid in the 3rd century BC. After Ephesus became the capital of Asia, the neighborhood started to experience its brightest days (between the 1st and 3rd centuries AC). The most elite part of the city lived in the houses, so each residence was 400-950 square meters in size. The floors of the houses were decorated with mosaics and frescoes on the walls.
Alanya is also within day-tripping distance of some of this Mediterranean region’s most well-known ancient sites and tourist attractions, so if you want to brush off the sand for the day and head out to explore, there is plenty to keep you occupied off the beach. As well as the places mentioned on this list, you can easily also make day trips to Antalya to visit its museum and stroll its old town district, Aspendos (Turkey’s most famous Roman Theater), and other major archaeological sites near Antalya such as Perge. Read more info on https://www.tourmoni.com/.
It’s impossible not to be awed by Taurus Mountains, and if you want to break out and experience this stirring landscape your best bet is the Sapadere Canyon, about 40 kilometres northeast of Alanya. The temperature is a few degrees lower in the mountains, and something that will strike you right away is the lack of humidity. In 1948 when Alanya’s peninsula was being quarried for stone for the harbour, workers stumbled upon a cave brimming with stalagmites and stalactites. At the foot of a stairway, the Damlataş Cave is 50 metres long and up to 15 metres high, and those bizarre concretions are carefully illuminated. Now, something to note about the chamber is its high humidity (96%), elevated carbon dioxide and constant temperature of 22°C. This might put off some visitors, but since it was first discovered the Damlataş Cave has been hailed for its therapeutic effects for people with respiratory complaints.
Waterfall and swimming hole in Sapadere Canyon: Sapadere Canyon, on the outskirts of the small village of Sapadere, is an easy trip from Alanya, sitting just 20 kilometers inland from the city. From May to October, plenty of tour operators in Alanya run daily jeep tours to Sapadere Canyon, which are good for travelers who want to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Although small, only stretching for 800 meters in length, Sapadere Canyon is squeezed between high walls that reach up to 400 meters high. This gives the canyon a cooler climate than along the coast and makes it an extremely popular destination in the height of summer. A walkway leads through the canyon, passing a few shady cafés, where you can relax and enjoy the canyon environment. At the bottom of the canyon is a small lagoon and waterfall. Most people come to swim here in the cold, blue-green water of the lagoon and enjoy the cooler temperatures.
In 1228 the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Kayqubad I ordered the construction of this remarkable shipyard, facing east across the bay, just south of Kızılkule. In Medieval times Alanya was the Seljuk Empire’s prime shipyard on the Mediterranean, and what remains is in great condition and open to the public for free along a wooden boardwalk. There’s a row of five pointed arches, more than 55 metres long in total, and these vaulted bays go back 44 metres inland. The shipyard was oriented east to get as much sunlight as possible, and is flanked by a mosque and guardroom. Slightly back and posted on the rocks on the south side is a defensive tower once armed with cannons.