The Central District ANTALYA CITY

Antalya is by far the largest city along the Turquoise Coast and well worth considering as a base or at least spending some time in. By turns sprawling and bustling, intimate and charming, it offers beaches and bustle as well as plenty of history.

The central district (Kaleiçi)—all winding lanes, handsomely restored Ottoman-era architecture, and endless shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars—is where visitors can find the Iki Kapılar Hanı, a sprawling covered shopping area dating to the late fifteenth century, plus sights such as the eighteenth-century Tekeli Mehmet Pasa Camii mosque—worth seeing for its striking Arabic calligraphy in the colored tiles above the windows and along the base of the dome, the monumental Hadrian's Gate, erected for the Roman emperor's visit to Antalya in 130 AD; and the Roman Harbour, which was in operation from the second century BC; it’s now an attractive marina for yachts and boats known as Old Town Harbour or Yat Limanı.