Antalya is the capital of the Turkish Riviera, and its history reaches deep into the ancient world — the city was founded in the 2nd century BC, and it has been the great port of the Mediterranean coast for two thousand years. The city’s story is the story of the coast: the ancient kingdoms, the Roman world, the Byzantine and the Seljuk eras, and the modern capital of the Riviera, all layered on the same harbor. This guide unpacks the history and culture of Antalya: how the city was founded, what it became, and how the layers still visible in its streets tell the story.
The Founding: Attalos and the Ancient City
Antalya’s history begins in the 2nd century BC, when Attalos II, the king of Pergamon, founded a new city on the Mediterranean coast and named it Attaleia, after himself. The city grew as the port of the region, the gateway of the Pamphylian coast, and it flourished under the kings and then under the Romans, who made it a provincial city of the empire.
The ancient city’s remains are scattered beneath and around the modern capital: the old city of Kaleiçi stands on the site of the ancient city, and the deep history of the port is the foundation of everything that followed.
The Roman and the Byzantine City
The Roman era brought Antalya to its ancient height: the city became an important port and a provincial center, with the public buildings, the gates, and the streets of the Roman city. The Hadrian’s Gate, built in honor of the emperor’s visit, still stands at the edge of the old city — one of the finest Roman gates in Turkey.
The Byzantine centuries followed, and the city continued as a port of the eastern empire — until the new powers of the region, the Seljuks, took the coast in the medieval era.
The Seljuk and the Ottoman Port
The Seljuk conquest of the 13th century brought a new era to the city: the Seljuks made Antalya a great port of their empire, the gateway of the Mediterranean trade, and they built the monuments that still crown the old city — the Yivli Minare, the landmark of the skyline, built in the Seljuk era.
The Ottoman centuries followed, and the city continued as the port of the region — the trade, the harbor, and the life of the coast. The Ottoman Antalya was a working port of the empire, and its old city carried the life of the merchant city.
The Modern City: The Capital of the Riviera
The modern chapter of the city’s history is the story of its rediscovery and its growth. In the 20th century, Antalya was a modest provincial town — until the coast was discovered as one of the great beach destinations of the Mediterranean, and the city grew into the capital of the Turkish Riviera: the beaches, the resorts, and the tourism of the coast, with a population of nearly two million.
The modern city is the meeting of its layers: the ancient city beneath the old quarter, the Seljuk monuments on the skyline, and the modern capital of the coast along the sea.
The Culture of Antalya Today
The living culture of the capital is a fusion of the layers:
- The sea. The harbor and the beaches are the heart of the city — the Mediterranean, the boats, and the life of the coast.
- The old city. The lanes of Kaleiçi and the monuments carry the deep history of the port.
- The table. The food of the coast — the seafood, the meze, and the piyaz — is the daily culture.
- The tourism. The capital of the Riviera hosts the world — the resorts, the beaches, and the summer life.
- The working city. The capital’s people, the markets, and the everyday rhythm of the coast.
Visiting the History: What to Look For
A walk through Antalya is a walk through the layers:
- The ancient city — the site of Attaleia, beneath the old quarter.
- The Roman city — the Hadrian’s Gate and the remains of the Roman era.
- The Seljuk city — the Yivli Minare and the monuments of the medieval port.
- The Ottoman port — the old city of Kaleiçi and the harbor.
- The modern capital — the sea, the beaches, and the life of the Riviera.
The Gate to the Ancient World
One of the deepest roles of the city is its position as the gate to the ancient world. Antalya is the gateway to the great sites of the region — Perge, Aspendos, Side, and the cities of the Pamphylian and the Lycian coasts — and the capital has been the doorway to them since antiquity. The traveler who visits the city and then the ancient sites connects the living port to the ancient world at its doorstep — the Attaleia of antiquity and the great cities of the region, the ancient and the modern of the coast. The gate to the ancient world is the deepest role of the capital, and it gives the city its place in the story of the Mediterranean.
The Continuity of the Port
The most remarkable thing about Antalya is the continuity of its harbor. The city has been a port for two thousand years — the harbor of the ancient city, the Seljuk gateway, and the modern marina are the same water, carrying the same function through the ages. The traveler who stands at the harbor stands where the ships of antiquity and the galleys of the medieval world once passed — the same bay, the same city, and the same life of the sea. The continuity of the port is the deepest meaning of the capital: a city that has been the gateway of the Mediterranean for millennia, and that still is.
The Culture of the Coast
The final layer of the culture is the life of the coast. The Mediterranean is the heart of the modern capital — the harbor, the beaches, and the everyday rhythm of the water — and the culture of the coast is the culture of the sun and the sea: the relaxed, open life that the Riviera is known for. The traveler who walks the harbor, takes the boats, and joins the life of the coast experiences the culture of the capital as it is lived — the sea and the city together, and the Mediterranean life that makes Antalya the capital of the Riviera.
The Living Culture of the Capital
The final note is the living culture of the working city. Antalya is a capital of nearly two million people, and its culture is the fusion of the layers: the students and the traders, the markets and the quarters, the table of the coast, and the tourism that hosts the world. The living culture is the capital as it is lived — the everyday life of the city that hosts the Riviera, and the warmth that the traveler experiences. The living culture is the present of the capital, and it belongs to the traveler who walks the city with the time and the curiosity.
The Continuity of the City
The most remarkable thing about the capital is the continuity of its story. The city has been a port for two thousand years — the ancient Attaleia, the Roman and the Byzantine city, the Seljuk and the Ottoman gateway, and the modern capital of the Riviera — and each era has left its layer in the same harbor. The traveler who walks the city walks the continuity: the Roman gate, the Seljuk minaret, and the old city’s lanes, all within sight of the same sea. The continuity of the city is the reason Antalya is more than a tourist capital — it is the deep history of the coast, and the modern Riviera, meeting in one place.
The Takeaway
Antalya’s history is the story of the coast: the city founded by the king of Pergamon, the Roman port, the Seljuk and the Ottoman gateway, and the modern capital of the Riviera — two thousand years layered on the same harbor. The gate and the minaret, the old city and the sea, and the life of the coast are all part of that long story. To walk Antalya is to walk through the history of the Mediterranean of Turkey — and to understand why this harbor, which has drawn the peoples and the trade of the sea for millennia, is the capital of the coast, where the ancient world and the modern Riviera meet.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Antalya?
The city was founded in the 2nd century BC by Attalos II of Pergamon, and it has been a port for two thousand years — one of the great harbors of the Mediterranean of Turkey.
Who founded Antalya?
Attalos II, the king of Pergamon, who named it Attaleia after himself.
What is the significance of the Hadrian’s Gate?
The Roman gate built in honor of the emperor Hadrian’s visit — one of the finest Roman gates in Turkey.
What is the Yivli Minare?
The Seljuk-era minaret that crowns the old city’s skyline — the landmark of the capital.
Why is the city the capital of the Riviera?
The 20th-century discovery of the coast made Antalya the center of the Mediterranean’s tourism — the beaches, the resorts, and the summer life.
Is the city’s history visible today?
Yes — the ancient and the Roman and the Seljuk layers stand within the modern capital, and the old city carries the story.
All Over Information
The All Over Information editorial team researches and writes practical English-language guides to Turkey. Facts are checked against official and local sources before publication, prices are published as dated ranges rather than quotes, and guides are revised when things change. We accept no sponsored posts, paid placements or paid links.
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