Drugie oczy pilota - Katowice Airport

fot. Jacek Birnbach
the capital of the turkish riviera is a must particularly for
those who don’t have health issues. Nowhere else in the Mediterranean
(apart from perhaps Croatia) is the water so blue, the
gravel beaches so clean and the weather so 100% reliable.
In 150BC, King Attalos II of Pergamon founded the city of
Attalia (named after the King himself). His successor and last king
of Pergamon, Attalos III, lost the city to the romans. the city
then passed through the hands of many rulers – the Byzantine
empire, the Seljuk turks, the Arabs, the Venetians and the Genevians
and it was only in 1432 that Sultan Murad II incorporated
the city and province into Ottoman turkey.
Antalya’s new ‘owners’ razed all the monuments left behind
by their predecessors to the ground – to such an extent, that
there’s more to explore in the surrounding areas than in the metropolis
(pop.over 700 000) itself. But there still is enough to see.
First and foremost, Kaleici old town, to see the several surviving
wooden houses dating back to the Ottoman empire. From the
roman times, Hadrian’s Gate, which was erected in honour of
the visiting emperor, still stands.
Not enough attractions? Catch one of the little dolmusch buses
which will take you to the Perge – the ruins of a city known
as the most beautiful in Asia Minor. Its inhabitants respected
the beauty of their city to such an extent that they surrendered
outright to Alexander the Great so that his armies would not
destroy the city. As a result, the nymphaeum, baths, palaestra,
theatre and an amazing stadium seating 12 000 people are still
standing today, however, some of the sculptures have been
moved from Perge to Antalya. From Perge it’s worth travelling
on to the Karain Cave, the stunning Dueden waterfall, to Adana
and Termessos in the mountains
The Turkish Riviera is squeezed in between the sea and the
tUreCKI FOLKLOr | TuRKISH FOLKLORE
fot. Jacek Birnbach
MeCZet | MOSQUe
stunning Taurus Mountains. In one day you can combine a trip
into the mountains and bathing in the sea, or perhaps diving or
sailing on wooden boats called gulets with visiting a botanical
garden home to 3000 plant species native to this region. the
biggest attraction is of course the beach. there are two rival
beaches – the pebbly Konyaalti Plaj and the sandy Lara Plaj.
The (cheap) shopping and evenings spent over a shish kebab
drenched in spicy hibes sauce based on tahini - or perhaps a
piece of lamb lahmacun which looks a bit like pizza, or a kebab
straight from the grill...Although it’s an Islamic country, noone
will consider it rude if hotel guests would like to savour the local
wines. Visitors need to be aware, however, that some restaurants
will not sell alcohol. Local waiters tend to total the bill to
their own advantage, but when checked, will add everything correctly.
It’s become a sort of local custom as popular as haggling
for every product at a local market.
The areas around Antalya are arguably the largest tourist
havens in the world. rich Americans, Germans (by far the largest
group) and Russians are buying out hill-side homes with stunning
sea views.
It’s virtually impossible to get to Antalya by train, bus trips
are exhausting, but the airport is modern and offers connections
to all the larger european cities. Public transport in Antalya
consists of a large bus network and the dolmusches mentioned
earlier.
A visa is needed to visit turkey, which has for many years
aspired to be part of the eU. If you’re looking for a taste of the
exotic and the smell of the Orient, you will not be disappointed!
Andrzej Wiktorowicz
SILESIA AIRPORT 21