Deciding on your travelling destination is a whole of a process, influenced by a wide variety of characteristics. If you made your decision, and decided to visit Antalya, Turkey, then we will tell you, you made the right choice, maybe the best decision of your life. Antalya is a beautiful coastal destination, that is often associated with 5-star hotels and all-inclusive packages. We are here to prove you wrong, and show and suggest Antalya’s cultural sights. If you are in the process of planning your trip to Antalya, deciding on the places you want to visit, here are 4 most interesting and culturally introducing museums, you must visit.
Antalya Archaeological Museum
Archaeological Museum in Antalya is one of the best venues of its kind in Turkey. The exhibits shown here come from the archaeological sites from Antalya Province and make a great addition after visiting these places. The most important sites represented in this museum are: Karain cave, ancient city of Perge and the cities of Lykian civilization.
Both the wealth of museum collections and their presentation in spacious, modern interiors encourage the visitors to can spend many hours in this place. The uniqueness of this institution has also been recognized internationally – in 1988 the Council of Europe awarded it with the Museum of the Year Award.
Suna & İnan Kıraç Kaleiçi Museum
This small ethnography museum is housed in a lovingly restored Antalya mansion. The 2nd floor contains a series of life-size dioramas depicting some of the most important rituals and customs of Ottoman Antalya. More impressive is the collection of Çanakkale ceramics housed in the former Greek Orthodox church of Aya Yorgi (St George), just behind the main house, which has been fully restored and is worth a look in itself.
Antalya Toy Museum
Established by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality at the Kaleiçi Marina four years ago, the Antalya Toy Museum features more than 1,500 toys purchased from antique auctions all around the world. Toys that were manufactured right after the Industrial Revolution in the U.S., Germany and Japan and authentic, handmade toys from Anatolia are displayed in the museum. The oldest toy in the museum dates back to the 1800s.
In her statement to Anadolu Agency (AA), Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Toy Museum Director Saliha Özdemir İpek said more than 160,000 people have visited the museum in the last four years. She added that the museum is not just for children, as it takes adults on a journey through time.
Atatürk’s House Museum
After Atatürk’s death in 1938 his villa in Antalya was transformed into the Institute for Girls. In 1984 the building was given to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in order to transform it into a museum. Unfortunately, this decision coincided with the planned reconstruction of roads in the city and the building was demolished to make way for an widened Işıklar street. The villa was later rebuilt farther from the road and in 1986 opened to the public as a museum.
The villa is a two-storey house, with a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen and several other rooms located on the ground floor. There are seven rooms, including one with a balcony, on the second floor. Today, on the ground floor there is and exhibition of newspaper clippings and photographs devoted to Atatürk’s visits in Antalya. On the first floor the presidential bedroom and two offices are recreated. In addition, there is a large collection of postage stamps, coins and stamps bearing the likeness of the president. The core of the exhibition consists of personal items (including clothing and shoes), which belonged to Atatürk. They were transported to Antalya from Anıtkabir – the mausoleum of Atatürk in Ankara.
The 19th International Antalya Piano Festival will be held from September 1st to September 9th at 20:30pm at the Antalya Culture Centre (AKMA) hosted by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality. The Festival is an important cultural and art event in Antalya. Gürer Aykal will be the artistic director of the festival, which will host important artists from around the world. Two hundred and eighty-five musicians will take the stage throughout the 19th International Antalya Piano Festival. With its slogan “Music in the City” lovers of authentic music are sure to experience an extraordinary feast of live music.
Program:
Laura De Los Angeles:
The festival will be opened by Spain’s leading flamenco artist Laura De Los Angeles who will perform in Turkey for the first time. With a versatile career as a pianist and a composer – she’s prominent for her dance and vocal performances with piano.Her performance will be accompanied by Flamenco dancers and eight other musicians for the concert at Antalya Cultural Center’s Aspendos Hall on September 1st. Laura de Los Angeles will definitely give a memorable musical performance for the audience at the festival.
GürerAykal: On Sept 4th, Antalya Piano Festival Art Director Gurer Aykal will be the conductor for the concert accompanied by the State Symphony Orchestra – they will share the stage with the winners of Young Talents Piano Competition which is held for the first time this year.
Kenan Tatlici:
On Sept 5th, Kenan Tatlici will perform on the piano accompanied by this year’s Young Talents in the Memory of Kamuran Gündemir Recital. Kenan actively attended numerous master classes and has practiced under the wing of famous pianists like Sergey Schepkin, idil Biret, MauricoVallina, Sergey Kudryakov, Marina Mdivani, Muza Rubazkyte, Lilya Ttalici and Gulsin Onay.
Ivan Melon Lewis& Cuban Swing Express:
On Sept 6th, Cuban born and Spanish based pianist Ivan Melon Lewis will take the stage – he’s renowned as one of the most talented pianists of his generation. After years of touring the world with different artists he formed The Cuban Swing Express that consists of talented Spanish singer Buika, and 10 best Cuban musicians. They impress their audience with fresh and original mixture of old era and current music.
Fahir Atakoğlu:
On Sept 8th, Famous pianist and composer Fahir Atakoğlu will perform alongside State Symphony Orchestra with Gürer Aykal for the Film Music Concert as part of the festival. The Orchestra has a very important place in Antalya’s cultural life and contributes immensely to the advertisement of the area.
Dhafer Youssef:
The festival will be closed on Sept 9th by Dhafer Youssef. He’ll be performing music from his latest album, harmonizing Sufi tradition with jazz elements and Arabic lyricism. He will be back this year to give the audience a magical concert.
Gülçin Anıl’s “Rhythmic Colors” painting exhibition will also take place during the festival. The festival is beloved by many and visited by huge groups annually, in the season it brings together thousands of domestic and foreign lovers of art at Antalya Culture Center. Don’t miss out on the chance to experience live authentic music this year! Click here to purchase your tickets.
Antalya is one of the most beloved and popular holiday destinations in Turkey. Located in the south, it hosts a clean and warm sea that stays warm longer than most cities, tourists from many countries, fascinating historical places and gorgeous holiday resorts. Before you embark on your journey to this delightful city, here are 10 important things to pack for your trip to Antalya;
Adapters
One important thing to note are the outlets in the city. Don’t forget to to pack suitable adopters with yourself to avoid the inconvenience of searching for and purchasing them once you arrive. To use or recharge your electric gadgets and devices you may need a universal adapter plug, perhaps even multiple plug adapters considering that most rooms in the city have single or couple of round plug sockets recessed into the walls, so make sure your plugs cater for these outlets.
Phrasebook & Translation book or travel guide
It’s a good idea to pack a Turkish phrasebook or a travel booklet for your visit to Antalya. The book can provide you with common Turkish words and information about their culture and customs of locals for a better interaction. Although many tourist destinations in the city are filled with English signs and directions and a few portion of people speak the English language, that is not always the case when you decide to venture away from the beaten tourist path and visit untouched places, there you may find yourself facing a language barrier, especially when you meet very friendly Turkish people who invite you to their family home for a cup of tea or coffee, it’s a rewarding experience to impress them with a few Turkish sentences that you’ve learned.
Sun lotion
If you’re visiting Antalya during the warmer summer months you will need to prepare for the upcoming heat you’re about to experience, it’s important to stay safe. Be warned that the average summer in Antalya reaches anywhere between 30 to 40 degrees Celsius (86-104 F) hence why high factor sun lotions/creams are highly required, its recommended to bring a few of them from home since they’re quite expensive in Turkey. If you have sensitive skin, its encouraged to pack a few items of clothing which will cover your shoulders and avoid getting a sunburn because the sun rays in Antalya can be very intense.
Comfortable footwear
Whether you intend to visit the beaches or multiple historical sites, comfortable footwear will spare you loads of energy. There’s so much to explore of Antalya and so many places to visit and long distances to walk on your sightseeing adventure. On your exploration journey of the famous old town Kaleici you’ll find yourself walking up and down ancient narrow streets and steep staircases to slippery roads, make sure to pack runners or trainers with breaks to avoid slipping and falling. If you plan on visiting other historical places such as Aspendos Amphitheater or Termessos, to reach the destinations you’ll have a long road of hiking to do, make sure to wear soft footwear or trainers so that you’ll be able to walk the long distances. As for the beaches, the perfect shoe you can pack are the godsend flip flops or beach slippers that we all wish we could wear all year long. They are light and dry easily, pack the most comfortable ones that don’t rub for Lara beach and feel free to wear them in the city since everyone does, so you won’t look out of place. The Konyaalti beach is pebbled compared to the others thus it is encouraged to pack hard bottomed beach shoes to make it easier to crossover to the waters.
Swimwear
Spending your time cooling off and submerged in the water may rescue you from the intense sun rays, don’t miss out on the opportunity to lounge and tan by the multiple beautiful beaches of the city or at the indoor and outdoor pools in numerous stunning hotels. Take advantage of the time that you have, don’t forget to pack multiple swimsuits that have a quickly drying material although you won’t be waiting too long in Antalya’s heat. Side note; to save yourself some luggage space, don’t pack any towels since all hotels supply towels to carry to the beach or use in the swimming pools.
Medication
Depending on the necessity and significance of your health, its important to always bring medication from home considering that suitable medication is hard to find in the city, especially if you’re in need of something specific that only sells in your home country. Almost all medication is in Turkish thus the instructions will be hard to decipher. To avoid the inconvenience and the struggle of trying to match and find the right medicine in the pharmacies – don’t forget to pack as much as you need for the trip.
Bags for sightseeing or hiking
If you intend to visit Antalya with minimum lightweight luggage, that may not be the case on your way back home. You’ll find yourself leaving with multiple bags since Antalya is filled with a huge shopping option. You’ll have to make some space for all the interesting souvenirs and handcrafts you might collect on your adventure. Kaleici alone will load you up with all types of products that you’ll be actively encouraged to purchase by the Turkish sellers. If you’re aiming to travel with just carry-on baggage, it’s a good idea to invest in bags such as the Cabin Maxsoft-sided rucksack – it’s light and easy to carry, has roomy compartments and has plenty of pockets to keep your stuff organized and safe.
Camera
An obvious one but won’t hurt to remind – you’re going to want to make sure to bring your camera along to capture all your joyous memories and beautiful attractions of Antalya. There are numerous points in the city intended for photo shooting or just observation, such as the glass elevator hovering above the beautiful Marina just on the outskirts of the famous Kaleici. You do not want to miss out on all the insta-worthy photo opportunities of this place and many more.
Binoculars
On your way to Antalya its recommended to travel with a good quality light-weight binocular in your handbag. You may use it everywhere, there are endless details at historical attractions you might want to observe closely, and binoculars come in handy. Use them to look at the details of tiles in mosques, palaces, scan the rivers or the sea, the waterfalls, Taurus Mountains, enjoy all the details of beautiful landscapes at a look-out point, allow yourself to enjoy views from hotel balconies or stunning rooftop restaurants of the city.
Your Positive Energy
Last but not the least, the most essential thing you cannot forget at home is your positive energy and willingness to explore and have as much fun as possible. Antalya is the type of a place that brings joy to everyone that is not even expecting it, there are so many things to do, to learn, to experience and lifelong memories to create (click here to find out 7 reasons why you should visit Antalya). Whether you come empty handed or fully packed and ready for a long-term vacation, you will be sure to leave with a whole lot of satisfaction and pleasant memories.
