Antalya attracts tourists with its cultural and historical assets, besides its natural beauties. The historical evolution of the region starts from the Middle Paleolithic Era (50,000 B.C.) and continues until the present. In the city founded by Attalus II, the King of Pergamum in the second century B.C., there are numerous ancient cities in the regions which are called by their historical names of Lycia in the west, Pamphylia in the east and Pisidia in the north.
The Mosque with Fluted Minarets which is the symbol of the city, the Murat Pasha Mosque, Tekeli Mehmet Pasha Mosque, the Kaleici (Inner Citadel) District, where the old Antalya houses are located, the Ataturk and Karalioglu parks where various exotic Mediterranean plants are grown, the Hadrianus Gate, the Ataturk and the Archaeological Museums are worth seeing. The Lara beach to the east and the Konyaalti beach to the west of the city are ideal for swimming. Besides these beaches, there are also two water parks in Antalya in which various water games are played.
Among the interesting places in the vicinity of the city of Antalya are the Upper and Lower Duden Falls, Kursunlu Falls, Saklikent, which is a winter sports center, Gulluk Mountain National Park, with its famous ancient city of Termessos and Karain Cave which was a settlement place in the Stone Age.
