Antalya History has been shaped by the various empires of the region over the centuries. Antalya is the capital of the Antalya Province, where about one-third of Turkey's international tourists flock annually. Although an international resort destination today, until the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923, Antalya was a relatively small city. Nonetheless, the city has played an important role in Eastern Mediterranean affairs since the Roman times. It seems to have been touched by almost every single empire to date.  

Beginnings

Evidence of human life in the Antalya Province has dated back as early as the Paleolithic age. The region was shrouded in mystery until the Hittites recorded the existence of the people in the region, known then as Lycia. It was in this region that the world would first see a federation based on democratic principles with the Lycian League, established in 168 BCE.   Antalya became part of the Roman Republic in 133 B.C., and prospered under its authority. Christianity spread to the city after the second century, having been visited by Paul the Apostle some years earlier. After the Roman Empire split, Antalya played a big role in the Byzantine Empire as the capital of the Carabisiani administrative region. During this time, Antalya grew in size, drawing both Christians and Muslims. Antalya served as a staging ground for Christian fighters during the Crusades. For many centuries, Byzantine commanders tired to defend the city from Turkish incursions until it was finally conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the early 13th Century. Ottoman fighters finally overtook the city in 1432 and stayed as governors until the fall of the Ottoman empire.  

Ottoman Empire Onwards

The city had grown past its walls when it came into Ottoman possesion. The city was distinctly split into Turkish and Greek neighborhoods, with Venetian and Genoese communities still playing a hand in trade. For many years, Antalya was governed by Turkish landowners, rivaling the overall Ottoman governor. By the 20th century, the population had grown to 25,000 people, thanks to an increase migration of Turks from the Caucasus and Balkans. At this time Christians and Jews, now in the minority, all resided in separate quarters around the walled port. Today, the city has reached a population of around 775,000 people, thanks to its booming tourism industry. Antalya is picturesque, but considered ill-built and lacking in infrastructure. Visitors can still walk along the city wall, its main attraction.