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Post by Jazz on May 10, 2009 4:54:09 GMT
Turkey is a country of wild contrasts. Not long after my time in Cappadocia, I was to spend three full and beautiful days in Antalya. The capital of Anatolia, it is situated in south western Turkey on the Mediterranean coast and was a thriving port city in the Byzantine era. Most of my time was spent in the 'old city', Kaleici, which was a half hour walk from my hotel. You enter through Hadrian's Gate which was constructed in 130AD and is your portal into this magical town within the city. I loved to stroll through this small, shaded park and watch the old men chat and simply enjoy themselves. A turkish tea waiter would circle around offering refreshments...you can see part of the arched gate to the right,  The smell of the salt water drew me to the water's edge and the boats. The ancient wall still stands,  I loved the rugs hung on the stone walls,   Hours were spent in the small streets,   A glimpse of a private oasis...   This is the shop where I bought one of my Persian rugs...I still remember beauty, colour, texture, the cup of tea and the kind owner who is in the third photo...    One of my many delicious meals was here and it was inexpensive. The cafe was built into the thick wall and its stone corridor fascinated me...    No, this is not an apartment. The owner of the restaurant worshipped Ataturk and this was the glorious entry to his fine establishment,    |
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2009 5:37:54 GMT
That is a really nice set of photos. It looks like a very pleasant calm place, completely different from the turbulence of a place like Istanbul.
I am probably one of the very few people who has never been interested in Turkish or Persian carpets. I could walk by thousands of them without giving them a glance, even though I think they look just fine when I see them in someone's home.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 10, 2009 5:42:41 GMT
How beautiful, and what an experience that must have been, exchanging the austere beauty of Capadoccia for this green and vibrant ancient city. Thank you so much for sharing these pictures.
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Post by hwinpp on May 12, 2009 7:08:28 GMT
Is that a Roman remnant in the last pic, Jazz? Looks like a triumphal arch?
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Post by Jazz on May 12, 2009 15:50:10 GMT
Hwnn...Yes, it is a Roman arch. Old Antalya was originally fortified by the Romans with the wall that has stood the test of time. The first few photos show the excellent shape it is in. The arch in the above photo (now a shop!) was probably a triumphal arch at one time. However, the most beautiful and outstanding triumphal arch is Hadrian's Gate which was built to honour Hadrian and is the only one in use today.  |
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Post by bixaorellana on May 12, 2009 16:26:28 GMT
How beautiful! Are the columns a later addition?
One of my favorite pictures above is the one of the heavy stone walls surrounding the massive tree trunk heavily festooned with somber greenery ~~ all cheerfully lightened by the frilly bubble-gum pink chairs.
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2009 17:58:30 GMT
What struck me was looking at the houses in town, which do not appear to be very old. That makes me think that it is a place that gets hit by severe earthquakes once or twice every century.
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Post by Jazz on May 12, 2009 18:49:19 GMT
Kerouac, Antalya is a very old town. It was founded by Attalos, king of Peragamon, around 150BC as a naval base for his powerful fleet. Older excavations have been uncovered that date to the 3rd centuryBC....see History, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AntalyaThat the houses do not appear to be that old is the fault of the photographer (me)...these were shot 10 years ago, long before I thought I would be posting on an internet forum. Many older buildings exist, I will try to find some online. Probably, Antalya has been hit with earthquakes often...I do know that within my month in Turkey in 1999 we were (unknowingly) mid a terrible earthquake time and they erupted all around us as we travelled throughout Turkey. Bixa, The columns aren't a later addition, they are simply a restoration/cleanup of the columns built in 130BC. This is Hadrian's Gate. The beauty of the photo that you like is that this restaurant is built into the original and existing wall to protect the town which was built around 130BC. My special photo is of the archway/corridor leading to the bathrooms....I once worked on a film and showed this to the very arrogant DOP (director of photography) and he loved this photo. |
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Post by spindrift on May 15, 2009 7:30:06 GMT
Jazz - your pictures inspire me to pack my bags and leave at once to visit Antalya which seems to have all the requisites that appeal to me. You mention the strong smell of the sea - how wonderful! I haven't travelled much in Turkey. I love old cities.
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Post by Lizard on Nov 12, 2014 18:07:09 GMT
Another great post Jazz! That picture in reply #4 is particularly stunning. It's fantastic that you can share these to inspire others to explore other great cultures and regions of our world.
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