Description of the attraction
The oldest part of Antalya is called Kaleici. Initially it was a Roman city, then it became Byzantine, and later passed to the Seljuk Turks, and finally to the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
Visitors to the old city have the opportunity to touch the history that has come down to us in its original form. Looking at the labyrinths of narrow streets and the architecture of Kaleichi houses, you involuntarily plunge into the way of life and the way of life of generations of people who inhabited these lands earlier and lived here now. It is even difficult to believe that all of Antalya once fit inside these walls. It is not so easy to erect a new building or restore an old one inside the fortress. There are quite strict rules aimed at preserving the architecture of the old city.
The heart of Kaleici is the old port for which Antalya was famous at one time. It was recently restored. But earlier, for more than two thousand years, it did not perform at all a decorative function, as evidenced by the strong fortress walls that have survived to this day, and the cannons looking into the harbor. Antalya was the second port in Turkey after Mersin in terms of the number of arriving ships. Already in our time, a new pier was built in the west of the city, and its old name was replaced with a new one. Now this place is a magnificent estuary, the marina of which is used for mooring boats, yachts and boats used to entertain tourists from all over the world.
Kaleici surrounds and protects the Old Roman Harbor, to serve which, in fact, the city of Antalya was founded. Even during Roman times, it was an outlet to the rich plains that stretch east from the city to the southern slopes of the Taurus Mountains.
You can admire the wide variety of beautiful house facades if you walk up the street along the overland wall. Some of these facades face the street and complement the overall ensemble. Each courtyard, with its own flavor, has internal gardens with a variety of fruit trees. The houses here are built of stone and have wooden floors. The combination of stone and wood adds its own unique flavor to the Kaleici architecture.
The first floors of these old houses, as a rule, have practically no windows from the street side, while the "jumba" - the top floor, can show patterned wooden protrusions repeating the style of the streets. Often, the upper floors are bedrooms and other living quarters. The ground part of the house smoothly passes into the garden, in the cool shade of which you can relax in the summer heat on comfortable small wooden chairs. On this floor there were utility rooms such as a pantry, a kitchen, a shed and a closet.
Further, there is a residential first floor, which has large and wide windows located in two rows. A large amount of light penetrates through them, creating the effect of additional space. The shutters of the windows in the lower row can be opened, and the upper row in most cases is made of wood and without glass. Small skylights on the upper floors, which are covered with colored glass, stand out especially against their background.
There are several entrances to Kaleici, but the most convenient is Kalekapis, and the most picturesque and historically significant is the Hadrian's Gate. There is a tram line nearby, a taxi stand at the entrance. It also has its own fire brigade, its own beach, shops and cafes, in general - this is a city within a city.
Today Kaleici is practically the center of tourism, which has preserved its original appearance, the new buildings of which, at the same time, perfectly fit into the overall architectural ensemble. Many hotels, boarding houses, restaurants and shops have been built on its territory. Here you can constantly hear the exclamations of sellers, asking to buy various souvenirs, jewelry and furniture, coming from oriental shops and souvenir shops. The most beautiful hand-made carpets attract particular attention, among which you can often find old canvases. There are several cafes on the cliff itself, which offer a magnificent view of the sea and mountains.
