The city of Antalya is the capital city of Antalya Province, and an important tourist destination situated on the Southern Mediterranean coats of Turkey. Due its importance as tourist destination the city gained the title of “the capital of Turkish tourism”.

Antalya is an attractive city and the principal resort in the Mediterranean region, surrounded by mountains, forest, Mediterranean Sea. Since it was declared as an international resort in the 1970s, it has suffered a great development in tourism and due to this the city is in constant growth. Its population for the last census in 2000 was 603,190, but it is incremented around to 2 million in summers at the height of the tourist season.

The city was founded by the King of Pergamon, Attalus II, in the second century B.C. who named the city Attaleai. After Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and finally Ottomans occupied the city. Around the city there are many cultural and archaeological remains left by those civilizations.

Among the city has to offer are the elegant fluted minaret of the Yivli Minareli Mosque situated in the center of the city that was built by the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in the 13th century, Karatay Medresesi, Hidirlik Tower, Ahi Yusuf Mescidi, Iskele Mosque, Murat Pasha Mosque, Tekeli Mehmet Pasha Mosque, Balibey Mosque, Musellim Mosque, Seyh Sinan Efendi Mosque and Osman Efendi Mosque are other important places in the city.

The Lara beach to the east and the Konyaalti beach to the west of the city are ideal for swimming. Besides these beaches, there are also two water parks in Antalya in which various water games are played.

Other interesting places in the outskirts of Antalya are the Upper and Lower Duden Falls, Kursunlu Falls, Saklikent, which is a winter sports center, Gulluk Mountain National Park, with its famous ancient city of Termessos and Karain Cave. Kemer, on the coast to the west of the city of Antalya, is among the most beautiful holiday centers in the Mediterranean. Phaselis at the south of Kemer is an historical port. The ancient city of Olympos and its ruins are worth to be seen too.