Antalya Turkey
Antalya Turkey
Antalya (from Greek: Aττάλεια, "Attalia") is a city on the Mediterranean coast of
southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous
city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.
Antalya Province#History for details of this area in antiquity.
It is uncertain when the site of the current city was first inhabited. Attalos II, king of
Pergamon, was believed to have founded the city around 150 BC, naming it Attalia and
selecting it as a naval base for his powerful fleet. However, excavations in 2008 in the Doğu
Garajı district of Antalya have uncovered remains dating to the 3rd century BC, suggesting
that the city was founded earlier than previously supposed. Antalya became part of the Roman
Republic in 133 BC when King Attalos III of Pergamon willed his kingdom to Rome at his
death. The city grew and prospered during the Ancient Roman period.
Christianity started to spread in the region after 2nd century. Antalya was visited by Paul of
Tarsus, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles: "From Perga, Paul and Barnabas went down
to Attalia and sailed from there to Antioch after preaching in Pisidia and Pamphylia" (Acts
14:25-26).