Turkey > The old town of Antalya

I feel much better this morning. Last night the street remained lively. After the music stopped, many people continued walking and talking through the street. At half past six, the garbage crew came to clean the streets again. Ready for a new day. Breakfast consists of a wide variety of small dishes—cheese, sausage, jam, honey, olives, and much more. We have a table for four people; otherwise, there wouldn’t have been enough space. More than thirty small bowls are laid out. A delicious and typically Turkish breakfast. Today we’re going to explore the Kaleiçi district, the old town of Antalya. We start the route at Hadrian’s Gate. This gate was built in 123 BC in honor of a visit by the emperor. In the stones under the gate, the ruts from carts are worn in. In Karaalioglu Park stands the Ataturk Museum and a sports hall. Men are resting under the trees. We come again to the Hidirlik Tower. Archaeologists are excavating around the tower dating from the second century. It seems that this area had recently still been a terrace.

Turkey - The tower was used to guard the harbor

We arrive at the truncated minaret of the Kesik Minare mosque. The Romans once built a temple here, later it became a church, and in 1361 it was converted into a mosque. The minaret was then added to the mosque. In a fire in 1800, the building was destroyed. Only the minaret survived the disaster. We turn off at the mosque and descend to the Marina harbor. Numerous tourist boats are ready for trips at sea. They try to attract attention by dressing the ships as real pirate ships. The interest is limited. We order a drink at a terrace along the harbor. From the harbor, we walk along the rocky coast to the more distant beach. Above the rocks lie parks and apartments. It’s half past two when we look out from the high rocks onto the wide beach of Antalya. A beautiful spot for lunch. From the terrace, we see the kilometers-long beach. We also see as far as we can houses, apartments, and hotels.

Turkey - The city of Antalya is very large

Antalya is a city of millions. Back in the center of the Kaleiçi district, we arrive at Republic Square. Here stands the statue of Ulusal Yükselis Aniti. Also here is the Yivliminare Mosque. I quickly take a look inside. I have to take off my shoes. The tile work is especially beautiful. Through the narrow streets of Kaleiçi, we return to our hotel. We pass many small shops and covered bazaars. At the hotel, the receptionist apologizes that he doesn’t know our room number. We help him a bit: room 421. For dinner, we return to Karaalioglu City Park. Here is a large terrace with comfortable lounge chairs. Many local Turks also come here to drink tea with friends or smoke hookah. We order some food and a beer. It looks like we are the only ones on the terrace with alcohol. Back at the hotel, the disco beat from the neighboring bar sounds again. It seems to be the same mix as last night. Unlike last night, it is much busier on the terrace now on Friday. After the loud music stops at midnight, the chatter from the full terrace continues deep into the night.