Last Updated on 18/03/2023
Antalya is a metropolitan province ranked Turkey’s 5th populous city. It has 1,318,826 people in this current year. The city also contributes to the country’s economy based mainly on tourism and agriculture. Considered the Mediterranean pearl of the country, Antalya Turkey became an attractive tourism hotspot hosting more than 10 million tourists from different countries around the world every year. Moreover, Antalya provides 20% of Turkey’s exports of Fruits and vegetables yearly. This article will provide you with a selection of important facts about Antalya. Just keep reading if you consider living in this city.
Important Facts About Antalya
Location of Antalya Turkey
Antalya province is located in the southwest of Turkey on the Mediterranean coast. It is considered Turkey’s largest city by the Mediterranean sea with a 657km coastline. The city is neighboring Izmir to the northwest and Mersin to the east. Antalya city is 700 km away from Istanbul. You can get there within 8 hours by car or through a one-hour flight by plane.
Thanks to its location, Antalya benefits from a sea-mountain combined landscape, making it special for visitors.
Climate & Nature
Antalya benefits from typical Mediterranean weather. Antalya, Turkey, benefits from long hot summer and a mild winter. This warm weather with 300 sunny days in a year, is one of the attractive facts about Antalya. It provides ideal weather for a beach holiday. The hottest period in Antalya is between July and August. Temperature can hit up to 40 Celsius degrees in this period with an average temperature of 30.4 degrees. However, winters in Antalya are warm, with an average temperature between 6 and 16 Celsius degrees.
Antalya Turkey is the most attractive holiday resort center with its beautiful beaches. Antalya includes many blue-flag beaches with the contrast of turquoise water and white sand. We can mention Lara beach, Cleopatra beach, and Konyaaltı beach considered the longest shore.
Antalya is also suitable for hiking with its mountains, Cedar forests, and wild vegetation, thanks to its diverse landscape. It also includes spectacular cascades such as the Düden waterfall.
Historical Facts About Antalya
Majestic Taurus Mountains
Taurus mountains are one of the most attractive facts about Antalya. Known in Turkish as “Toros Dağları,” this vast band of mountains in southern Turkey runs parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. Along a curved path, the system stretches from Lake Egridir in the west to the upper Euphrates River in the east.
South of the impressive Taurus Mountains we can find the Mediterranean Sea’s coastline with sand beaches, scenic panoramas, numerous ancient ruins, secret coves, and enticing vacation destinations. The area enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year and is a haven for watersports, swimming, and sunbathing. Moreover, you may learn about the mythology that is entwined with the region and tour significant historical sites that date back thousands of years, nestled in a landscape of citrus groves and pine forests.
Mysterious Flames That Burn 24 Hours A Day!
Turkish for “flame stone,” Yanartaş is a geographical formation in the Antalya Province, southwest of Turkey, close to the Olympos valley and national park. Numerous little fires are burning there all the time because of vents in the mountain’s rock face. This constitutes one of the incredible facts about Antalya. The remnants of Hephaistos’ temple, a Greek deity who was connected to fire since he served as the gods’ blacksmith, sit directly beneath the flames. Visitors must first proceed to the entrance at the base of the mountain to witness the fires and the ruins. The location is at the summit of a short, one-kilometer ascent. The majority of visitors come at night when the fires are most magnificent.
Antalya Aquarium
Antalya Aquarium, which opened its doors in 2012 and is considered one of the liveliest attraction centers of Antalya today, is located in Konyaaltı. The complex’s center, which has 40 thematic aquariums spread across a 15,000-meter interior space and a 30,000-decare land, is home to the largest tunnel aquarium in the world, measuring 3 meters in width and 131 meters in length. The total water capacity of the aquarium exceeds 7.5 million liters.
Popular Blue Flag Beach
Blue flag beaches with crystal pure water are one of the most famous interesting facts about Antalya. These beautiful beaches make the city known as the pearl of the Mediterranean coast. People enjoy the sun and the water all year round thanks to the pleasant temperature. There are hundreds of stunning beaches and shores throughout the 640km length of Antalya’s coastline. 11 of the world’s blue flag beaches are in Turkey, which has the third-highest number of them. Antalya, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, is regarded as Turkey’s tourism hub. Each year, tens of thousands of tourists travel to Turkey to experience Antalya.
Facts about Expats Community in Antalya
Antalya, Turkey is a preferred province for foreigners, whether for tourism or relocation. It ranked the 3rd city after Istanbul and Ankara in both immigration and real estate investment. The number of foreign residents living legally in Antalya exceeded 100 000. The province attracts foreigners from more than 100 countries. However, Russia has been first for years, followed by Iranians and Germans. Russians and Scandinavians have their own community in Antalya. One of the most interesting facts about Antalya is that some people consider it as “Turkey’s little Russia”. According to the Turkish Statistics Institute, Russian residents hit 18,905 while Kazakhs reached 11,535 in 2021.
Russians in Antalya don’t feel like foreigners, and Antalya became a second home for them. They managed to have their own grocery stores and restaurants as well as Russian schools and nurseries.
Living in Antalya, Turkey
Apart from being a perfect destination for holidays and sightseeing, Antalya, Turkey, is also suitable for living and working. The developed tourism sector keeps offering important jobs for foreigners. We should mention that Antalya hosted over 9 million tourists in 2021 despite the Covid situation. Thanks to the safe tourism measurements, the city managed the pandemic well. Moreover, the Real Estate investment sector contributed to creating jobs for foreigners. Antalya has second place in house sales made to foreigners in 2020 with 19% and 7735 sales. Besides, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Antalya attracted many Russian investors in real estate sector. Therefore, it has been in 2022 the top destination for house sales in Turkey made to foreigners. This evolution constituted one of the important facts about Antalya in terms of investment mainly.
Learn more about Real Estate in Turkey.
Furthermore, the cost of living in Antalya is reasonable compared to other cities in Turkey and the world. Daily necessities costs in Antalya are 12% cheaper than in Istanbul and 43% cheaper in London.
FAQS
What is Antalya’s population?
The population of Antalya in 2023 is 1,347,000.
Why is Antalya famous?
Antalya is famous for its Blue flag beaches. It is considered one of Turkey’s top tourism hubs.
How is Antalya’s nightlife?
You can find in Antalya numerous nightclubs that specialize in various styles of dance. Moreover, for those who prefer music, there are also a lot of taverns, pubs, and cafes featuring live music that are open till late at night.
Is Antalya safe?
Yes, shortly Antalya is safe for tourists and the overall crime rate of Antalya is low. Yet, be careful about eventual pickpocketing.
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