Perge & Aspendos


Wide, fertile plains parallel the endless sandy beaches east of Antalya until you come to Alanya. Abundant modern tourist facilities and well- preserved historical sites give you several options for a day's activities.
 


Perge Ruins 		An important city of ancient Pamphylian, Perge (18km from Antalya)was originally settled by the Hittites around 1500 B.C. St. Paul preached some of his first sermons here.

The theater's stage has finely carved marble reliefs; other carvings from around the city are displayed in the stadium. Amateur archaeologists will want to see the handsome city gate flanked by two lofty towers, a long colonnaded road once paved with mosaics and lined with shops, a large agora, the public baths and a gymnasium.

 
Swimmers and sunbathers alike enjoy Belek, a modern luxurious holiday center and golfer's paradise, 40km from Antalya. The National Golf Club located in Belek features a wide variety of water sports as well as a championship 18-hole golf course and 9 hole academy course. Visitors may sample some of Turkey's finest cuisine and enjoy open air discos for evening entertainment. A photogenic Seljuk bridge crosses the Kopru river from the road to Aspendos. The road continues past the Aspendos Jewelery Center to the Aspendos Theatre -the best-preserved theater of antiquity, with seating for 15,000. Still used today, the theater's galleries, stage decorations and acoustics all testify to the architect's success. Nearby stand the remains of a basilica, agora and one of the largest aqueducts in Anatolia.

And if you have ever wondered how gold dust becomes a fine piece of art or how precious stones are engraved, be sure to visit the Aspendos Jewelery Center, where jewelery making can be observed at every stage in the large workshop.