Turkey series 7 - Antalya

 ANTALYA

Well, well. How was the cotton castle? Did you feel to take a dip in the hot spring? I just felt to go back to the place, while I wrote about it. We are finally at the last stop in Turkey. Uff, long journey, isn't it? But it was worth the trip. Now, let's focus on this blog.

Antalya is a coastal city, facing the Mediterranean Sea, in the southern part of the country. It is the fifth largest city in Turkey. It is another popular resort city. This city more or less looks resembles any Europe city with its diverse food, culture and people. Antalya is the most visited resort city especially among the Germans and Russians. The region holds more resorts than Spain.

                                        

(Antalya)

    

(Map showing Antalya)

Antalya was founded by the Greek king Attalus and the city was named after him as Attalia. Later, it was renamed to Antalya in Turkish. Later, the city came under the Roman rule.

After the first World War, Italy took over Antalya and ruled over. However, under Ataturk, very soon this became a part of modern Turkey. To mark this landmark achievement, a statue has been erected in the memory. This place is called the Republic Square and is main square of the city. The statue shows Ataturk on a horse and a girl and a boy beneath the horse, which depicts the youth. This monument is also called the National Ascension Monument. Towards the west of the Republic Square is the old town, which I will explain further.

(Republic Square)

During the Roman rule, the city was developed. Earlier, the city was walled and now this part of the town is called Kaleci or the old town. One can see small streets, old houses and many architectural structures. Now the city has grown outside these walls and is far bigger. However, the old town is now famous for its pubs and a pretty good night life. Colorful pretty pubs and coffee shops are found here which provide great multi-cuisine food and musical nights.

(A street in old town, Kaleci)

(A coffee shop)

As I said, there are many architectural monuments in the old town. I will take you through some of them below.

Hadrian's Gate was built in the 2nd century by Romans in honor of Emperor Hadrian. This is three-way gate and one can pass through it to enter the old town. 

(Hadrian's gate)

(Hadrian's gate at night)

Another important monument is the Hidirlik tower. This served as a watch tower across the sea where the military could keep an eye of enemy and pirate attacks. Now, the place adjacent to the tower is a cool sightseeing place. One can sit here and enjoy the cool breeze blowing across the Mediterranean. There is also a garden you can see a lot of people taking a stroll here.

(Hidirlik tower)

(View from Hidirlik tower)

(Yivliminare Mosque - Notice the grooves on the minaret. 

present in the old town)

The old town ends along the Marina Bay. A lot of boats are available here which take you through day trips along the Riviera and the Konyatti beach.

(Marina bay at night)

(Boats on the bay)

Apart from the old town, Antalya has a lot of waterfalls. The most famous among them is the Duden waterfall. The water from the Duden river gushes down from the hilltop and falls into the Mediterranean Sea. The view is majestic as the sun beats down. There is a boat trip too from the Marina Bay to the falls. One can take a trip to this from the bay area.

(Duden waterfall)

(Duden river)

Antalya is well maintained with lots of gardens and park. There is a promenade along the bay where one can take stroll in the evenings with the cool breeze blowing across. There are a few places where one can just sit and watch the sunset. Also, as I mentioned, there a lot of cafes. One can sip a coffee or a drink whilst enjoying the views.

(Gardens and fountains in the city)

(View from one the sunset points)

(Turkish coffee)

(View from one of the cafes)

Antalya is a must visit place in Turkey and one of my favorites too. Since it is a coastal city, the temperature is humid and hotter than the other places in Turkey. There are a lot of European eateries here offering Italian, Greek and Turkish food. In the old town area, one can try Turkish coffee and Turkish ice creams. And not to forget the high number of pubs in the old town vicinity. I have mentioned a few restaurants below:

• Luna Garden
• Mermerli Restaurant
• Adana Kebab
• Boboli Garden
• Roberts Coffee

    

(Turkish pizza - must try in Turkey. 

Available in veg and non-veg)

Antalya is a resort town so there are a lot of resorts and hotels available. From a budget hotel to luxury, all types are available.

There is an airport here and it is the cheapest way to reach here from Istanbul, Ankara and Cappadocia. One can take a cab and go on a day tour to Pamukkale and Ephesus. Within the city, the tram is the best way to traverse. However, to reach other places, there are buses available. Also, one can book a cab via Uber too.

There are a few national parks around Antalya. One can go for activities like hiking, rafting, zip-lining etc. These are a little far away from the city so it is better to make arrangements with any tour operators. One can also do scuba diving as it is a coastal city but it is not well known for marine life.

(Tram in Antalya)

One can do a self-planned trip in Turkey too. Book flights wherever applicable. One can also rent a car and cover the Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale and Ephesus and then fly back to Istanbul. But be careful with the lane discipline and the speed limit. Also, it is a right-handed drive so mind that. Budget hotels and airbnbs are available. Food can be a problem for vegetarians as most Turkish food is non-vegetarian. However, breads are soft and fresh, and a lot of fresh fruits are available here. I have also mentioned Indian restaurants wherever possible. Also, one should be careful while shopping especially in Istanbul. There can be racial spurts, but it is better to ignore them.

The total cost of my trip was 1,50,000/- rupees. This is including the airfares, accommodation, food, internal transfers, hot air balloon and shopping. If you self-plan a trip, the cost can get a little cheaper. The best time to visit Turkey is April to May and September to October. June is the hottest month so avoid that. From November end, the temperature starts to dip so be careful to carry thermals. In January, some parts of Turkey experience heavy snowfall. Some places offer skiing as an activity during this time. Do a good research on the activities before leaving as some may get closed like the hot air balloon. It is better to book the activities at the venue rather than advance booking.

This blog brings the curtains down on the Turkey series. I enjoyed the Turkey trip a lot. This was one of my dream destinations and I am happy to have ticked it off my bucket list. I enjoyed writing this series too as it took me back to the happy memories. If you get a chance, then don't miss Turkey. You can contact me if you need to plan a trip here. I hope I made the blogs interesting, and you had fun. Keep filling in with your comments and feedback. Until next blog, bye bye!

In case you missed my previous blogs in this series, here are the links:

Pamukkale

Troy

Ephesus

Istanbul

Hot Air Balloon

Cappadocia

Turkey series 6 - Pamukkale

 PAMUKKALE

Welcome back. How were the history lessons? Boring, was it? Ok, this is the last history blog of this series. Of course, this has a twist too. So, read on and wait for the twist.

We now go around 200 kms from Kusadasi to a small town called Pamukkale. Another historical city beckons here. However, before that I would want to tell a few things about Pamukkale.

As I said, Pamukkale is a small town, however, is important for mainly two reasons. Firstly, this town brims with hot springs. Secondly, this town is famous for its cotton cultivation. I will let you know later why I had to bring up cotton here. First let's talk about hot springs.

Now, what are hot springs? Hot spring is a spring of heated underground water that emerges on the surface of the earth. The heating takes place either by molten magma or through circulation of water along hot rocks deep in the earth's crust. This water often contains different minerals and useful for relaxation and healing.

Due to the presence of hot springs, a lot of thermal plants can be seen around the area.

(A hot spring at Pamukkale)

(A hot spring at a hotel in Pamukkale)

(Hot spring on a road)

(Map showing Pamukkale)

Apart from the hot springs, there is an ancient city - Hierapolis. This is the third ancient city in Turkey after Troy and Ephesus. Hierapolis or the Holy City was a Greek city built in the 2nd century BC. Due to the presence of hot springs, this place was also used as a healing center. The Greeks built many temples here dedicated to Goddess Cybele. It was also believed that this was gateway to hell due to the presence of gases and minerals, which can be fatal at times.

Although the city of Hierapolis is under ruins, some structures have retained its own glory. One such structure is the theater. This is similar to the one we saw in Ephesus; however, the capacity is smaller than that. This theater could hold a capacity of 10000 people. Again, the place was used as a venue for entertainment like drama and music and also for combats. The pillars on the stage are more pronounced than the ones we saw at Ephesus.

(Theater at Hierapolis)

(The city of Hierapolis)

(Ruins at the ancient city)

A few other structures like the Gateway to hell, great baths, necropolis (tombs), temple of Apollo. Among them a popular bath is the Cleopatra pool. The name comes from the fact that Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen, visited this place and took a bath in the hot spring here. The dip in this pooled is said to have healed many skin diseases. Even now one can take a dip here by paying 125 Turkish Lira.

(Hot spring in Cleopatra pool)

Another most popular tourist place is the 'Cotton Castle'. The name Pamukkale actually means cotton castle. The name comes from the huge limestone deposits which is white in color, and this covers the whole mountain. The limestone in turn is formed from the minerals from the hot springs. And since this area is known for its cotton cultivation (I mentioned this earlier), this place got the name as Cotton Castle or Pamukkale. This spot is a well-known tourist place. The Bollywood song 'Tu Jaane na' from the movie 'Ajab Prem ki Ghajab Kahani' was shot here. 

The hot water from the springs settles down here on what are called as terraces. These terraces form a step-like structure giving it a unique scenery. On top of that, the white limestone deposit is like a cherry on the cake, thus, making the place very attractive. One can go down the terraces. The hot water keeps flowing down and ends up in a pool at the base of the hill. The pool is surrounded by a garden and can be visited from the town side. 

(Cotton terraces at Pamukkale)

(Panoramic view of the terraces and the pool)

(Hot water gushing down the drain beside the terrace)

(Water stored on the limestone deposits)

(Water gushing down as a waterfall)

(The city view of Pamukkale)

Pamukkale is a must visit place in Turkey, due to its natural hot spring and the cotton castle. Since it is just about 250kms from Kusadasi or Antalya, one can do a day trip from either of the places. However, it is recommended to stay here for a couple more days. There are a lot of hotels which house hot springs in them. A dip in these pools is very relaxing and healthy. Hot air balloons are conducted in Pamukkale too. So, in case, due to weather conditions you missed hot air balloon in Cappadocia, you can always do it in Pamukkale.

By road, as a I mentioned, one can take a cab from Antalya or Kusadasi to reach here. Pamukkale is 15kms from the city of Denzili, which holds a small airport. Many flights ply here from Istanbul and Ankara. So, that is another way to reach this place. Since cotton is famous, the textile industry is a bloom in this region especially around Pamukkale and Denzili. One can shop for clothes, towels, bedsheets etc here.

The best way is to book a hotel with hot spring (Pam Thermal Hotel - one such hotel), take a bath there, visit the cotton castle and then move on to other places. If you love the song 'Tu Jaane Na', then don't miss this place. As I said, this is the end of history in Turkey. I just have one more place to cover and that will be the end of Turkey series. Hope you all had fun reading this. Cya soon.

If you haven't read my previous blogs, here are the link for you:

Ephesus

Troy

Hot Air Balloon

Cappadocia

Istanbul