Antalya was founded around 150 BCE by Attalus II, king of Pergamon, who reportedly ordered his men to find “heaven on earth” and settle there, choosing this specific stretch of Mediterranean coastline for its natural harbour and dramatic backdrop of the Taurus Mountains rising directly behind the shoreline. The city later flourished under Roman rule, Hadrian’s Gate, built to commemorate Emperor Hadrian’s visit in 130 CE, still stands largely intact at the entrance to the old town, one of the best-preserved Roman monumental gateways in the eastern Mediterranean.
That layered history continued through Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman rule, each leaving distinct architectural traces still visible throughout Kaleici, Antalya’s atmospheric old town, where narrow Ottoman-era streets and traditional wooden houses now sit alongside boutique hotels and restaurants built directly into the historic fabric.
A Modern Riviera Built on Genuinely Ancient Waterfalls
Just outside the city, Duden Waterfalls drop dramatically, in one section, directly into the Mediterranean Sea from coastal cliffs, a striking natural feature that has become one of the region’s most photographed landmarks, boat tours specifically positioning visitors to see the falls cascading straight into open water. Antalya has developed since the mid-20th century into one of the most significant resort destinations on the Mediterranean, drawing millions of visitors annually, particularly from Northern Europe and Russia, its combination of ancient ruins, mountain backdrop, and reliably warm climate proving difficult for competing coastal destinations to match.
The Antalya Archaeological Museum houses an extensive collection of artefacts recovered from the region’s numerous ancient sites, including significant finds from nearby Perge and Aspendos, whose remarkably well-preserved Roman theatre remains in occasional use for concerts and performances today, nearly 1,900 years after it was built.
Painting Ottoman Stone Against Turquoise Water
Kaleici’s Ottoman-era architecture against Antalya’s turquoise harbour gives a watercolourist warm, layered historic colour to work with. We’ve captured that coastal charm in our own Antalya Watercolor Print, painted first by hand and printed to order on archival paper, a small piece of Turkey for a wall at home.
Founded on a king’s search for heaven on earth and built up since through Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman hands, Antalya remains a coastline whose reputation for beauty long predates its modern resort fame.