Antalya Airport: the Best Airport in Europe

Antalya Airport is operated in Turkey's primary holiday destination located on the country's Mediterranean coast. The airport is big and modern, built to accommodate the millions of passengers who come to Turkey's Mediterranean beaches in summer. It handled nearly 18.8 million passengers in 2008, more than 16.2 million of which were international passengers. The airport has two international terminals and one domestic terminal. Based on the projection from data from summer months, it currently has an estimated capacity of accommodating up to 35 million passengers/year, theoretically. In July 2011 the airport was selected 'Best Airport in Europe' (10-25 million passenger category) by Airports Council International (AIC). 

As it is known, terminal operations require high technology, know how and service at national and international standards. The requirements of international organizations like ICAO, ECAC, IATA, ACI and the regulations of SGHM, DHMİ, Security and Customs Administrations show the interdisciplinary management requirements for terminal services.
Time is always the most limited resource in the aviation industry and it should be managed properly with efficient coordination.  Furthermore, it is one of the industries in which the technological developments are rapidly implemented. Fast reactions are required in face of developments. 

The customer profile of the industry is highly diverse and they have high expectations. Integrated services generation is mandatory to fulfill the expectations. The interactions between processes with diverse resources should be properly designed and managed effectively. 

The natural and social environment are negatively affected because of aviation activities. That's why investments should be made to eliminate or minimize these negativities and ensure their sustainability. 

All the mentioned requirements have directed the institutions to the need to perceive and apply new management systems. Our institution has made its aim to generate constantly improving services focused on people, sensitive to the natural and social environment with high quality standards and has finalized its work towards that aim by getting certified under integrated 4 management systems. 

The institution has finished its work on "Airport Carbon Accreditation" initialized by the ACI to prevent a climate change by various toxic gases that cause the ozone layer to thin down and received an accreditation certificate.

It has shown its determination to eliminate or minimize its damages to living beings, water, soil and air by meeting the requirements of "Green Airport Institution" initialized by SGHM in the industrial level.

ICF Airports differs from its competitors with the importance it puts on passenger safety, extraordinary service quality, investments in leading technologies, its educated and experienced personnel and its mutually beneficial and friendly relations with its business associates while offering terminal services with this responsibility and awareness.

Milestones:

• In 2002 it was ranked as the 84th busiest airport worldwide and 25th in Europe
• In 2003 the airport handled 10 million passengers, representing an increase of 78% since 1998
• The Airport Terminal serves about 40% of all tourists coming to Turkey by air
• The number of staff at the airport is nearly 2000 (2005 data)
• According to ACI (Airport Council International) statistics, Antalya Airport International Terminal ranks amongst the top 100 busiest airports worldwide since 2001
• According to ACI (Airport Council International) statistics, Antalya Airport International Terminal ranked as the second busiest terminal on the Mediterranean coast line after Majorca in 2005
• According to ACI (Airport Council International) statistics, Antalya Airport ranked 30th in 2005, 2008 and 2009 for international passenger traffic
• In 2007, Antalya airport was Europe's 25th busiest airport, handling 17,795,523 passengers, an increase of 20.5% over 2006
• In 2008, AYT was the world's 30th busiest airport in terms of international passengers traffic. In 2009, AYT also held its 30th spot in that category among world airports, with 15,210,733 international passengers. By the end of 2010, it rose to the 23rd spot with over 18 Million international passengers.                              
• 
  For more information: http://www.aytport.com/en/default.aspx

Read More

Antalya Kaleiçi - The Old City

 

 

 

Read More

Lufthansa flies to Antalya

Germany’s Lufthansa Airline opened its fifth route to Turkey on April 2 with a new Munich-Antalya route.There are return flights once a week. An Airbus A321 takes off from Munich at 1:10 p.m. every Saturday and lands on Antalya Airport at 5:10 p.m. The same aircraft takes off from Antalya at 6:05 p.m. and lands at Munich airport at 8:20 p.m. In Munich, one of the most modern airports in the world, passengers arrive at the T2 Terminal, from which they connect to other destinations in Europe. The flights take a total of three hours and 15 minutes. 

“This further strengthens our position in Turkey,” Lufthansa Turkey General Manager Gregor Wende, said, noting the importance of the Turkish market. “We are happy to have scheduled flights to Antalya.” Lufthansa has been running Turkish routes since 1956 and has the largest market share among foreign airlines. The company has a total of 73 flights per week from Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir and Bursa. With the inclusion of the new route

from Antalya, the number of flights per week has increased to 74.

Doğan News Agency (DHA)

Read More

The World`s Best Golf Courses in Antalya-Belek

One of the main attractions of Belek is its six superb golf courses. Belek has been particularly developed as an attractive golfing holiday destination. It is one of Turkey`s premier golf centers with a world-class 18-hole golf course where both the novice and the expert can hone their skills. The golf clubs are paired into two groups within ten minutes driving distance of each other. Most of the hotels and golfing resorts are located in between adding to the tourists` convenience.

Here at Belek Area, seven golf clubs are grouped in two pairs separated by a ten minute drive with most of the hotels in between. All ready to serve you not only sunshine and secluded beaches but also the unique and hidden golf treasure of our Antalya.

Golf courses; In planing the course, the architecs took into special account the wishes and expectations of Europen golfers. The perfect sight of the golf courses present the wonderful panorama and landscape of the neighborhood while providing the golf players with terrifie golf pleasure and struggle.Some annex fields are being planned for the development of the golf facilities. There are daily, even hourly tours from all resorts and holiday villages at the neighborhood to the golf field and bookings are available via these tours and clubs.

The golf facilities enable individuals and groups to play throughout the twelve months of the year including the winter sunshine period that averages over six sunshine hours a day. Records show over 300 days of sunshine annually for the region.

Read More

Turkey’s first ice bar opens in Antalya

Black Ice Bar, Turkey’s first and just one of seven ice bars in the world, opened at the Antalya Ramada Hotel on Thursday. In the bar, the tables, glasses, seats, floors and walls are all ice. The bar’s temperatures is -8 degrees Celsius all the time. The Ice Bar is decorated with ice sculptures and colored with different lights. 

Entrance fee is 16 euros, including a free beverage. Customers are allowed to stay inside for 45 minutes. At the end of each session, customers can pass to another bar in the hotel.

HURRIYET DAILY NEWS

Read More

SUMMER DAYS IN ANTALYA

Read More

SUMMERTIME IN ANTALYA

SHINING SUN, AMAZING BEACHES, MAGNIFICENT MEDITERRANEAN SEA, LUXURY HOTELS, RAFTING, HORSE, ATV & JEEP SAFARIS, YATCH PARTIES, THE BEST DISCOS & CLUBS OF THE EUROPE, INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS & CONCERTS, WATER SPORTS, EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE IS IN TURKISH RIVIERA WHERE IS ANTALYA..

Read More

Antalya Old City Marina

Read More

Gelidonia Lighthouse

GELIDONIA LIGHTHOUSE The construction of one of the guiding lighhouses of the Mediterrenean, Gelidonya Lighthouse, started on the historic Licea route in Antalya, Kumluca, Taşlık Foreland in 1934 and was opened in 1936. Gelidonya Lighthouse is the highest lighthouse in Turkey, with an altitude of 227 metres. Being located over steep rocks, it is quite difficult to reach there. Even today, it works manually due to the difficulty in transferring electricity. As soon as you reach the Lighthouse, it is impossible not to be fascinated by the mysterious and virgin beauties of the combination of the sea and five Gelidonian islands. You will feel that there is no sense of time and experience emotions that are hard to define. Maybe it is an unnamed fantasy land. Gelidonya Lighhouse, washed by the Mediterrenean sunlight among the scent of pinetrees, it is the lighthouse with the most impressive scenery.
For more information: http://www.gelidonyafeneri.com/english/gelidonia.asp?link=../geliresim/lighthouse.htm

Read More

Main Sights in Antalya

Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It was the world's third most visited city by number of international arrivals in 2011, displacing New York. It is Turkey's biggest international sea resort. 

The first place to be seen in Antalya is the Old Town (in Turkish Kaleiçi). The name Kaleiçi means "Inside the Kale" or "Inner Kale" (Kale itself means castle or fortress).  It is the historic city center of Antalya.  It has structures dating from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and modern Turkish republican eras. The Kaleiçi area is located in the centre-eastern portion of the city along the Mediterranean coast fronted by the yacht harbor that dates to the Roman era. 

Old Town - Kaleici

Especially, people must see the Hadrian’s Gate, Roman Clock Tower, Hıdırlık Tower, The fluted (Yivli) minaret, Mermerli beach and the marina in the Old Town. Hadrian's Gate: constructed in the 2nd century by the Romans in honor of the Emperor Hadrian. 

Hıdırlık Tower

Hıdırlık Tower is a landmark tower of tawny stone in Antalya, where Kaleiçi meets Karaalioglu Park. It is believed that the ruling Roman Empire built this in the second century CE on a square plan. It has since been used as a fortification or a lighthouse. 

Clock Tower

The Clock Tower is Roman architecture. People are meeting under clock tower, it is like the symbol of Antalya. But the real symbol of the city is Yivli Minare (Fluted Minaret) which is built by the Seljuks and decorated with dark blue and turquoise tiles. 

Mermerli Beach

The famous Mermerli Beach is Antalya’s oldest beach. The little pebbly beach belongs to the Mermerli restaurant and is situated east to the marina. Deck-chairs and umbrellas must be paid. Its meaning is Marble Beach, and for good reason. It is all coral and marble at this tiny beach area, sometimes only accessible by steps and more steps going down 50 ft cliffs.

Saklıkent Ski Center

You’ve got to do a day trip to Saklıkent. The meaning of Saklıkent is hidden city. It is a winter resort in Antalya, 45 kilometers from Antalya and 60 kilometers from Antalya Airport. It is open for skiing from November to May. Because of its proximity to Antalya, one can ski and then one hour later swims in the Mediterranean Sea.

Hasan Subasi Cultural Park

Antalya will host EXPO 2016 which is the next scheduled A1 Horticultural Exposition. From 9,160 botanical species growing in Turkey about 3,300 are endemic. 630 of these 3,300 plants grow only at the Mediterranean Sea and 500 of those only grow in the province of Antalya. Hasan Subasi Cultural Park is located in the heart of Antalya's cultural and touristic area of the Konyaalti district. The park is my best relaxing place. Long walk in early morning when the city was sleeping is the best thing in Antalya. It is look like a paradise. You should see the great and fascinating view of Konyaalti beach and Toros Mountains from this park.

Beachpark

Konyaalti Beachpark is the Antalya’s new music and arts center. Here you always find an activity or live music concerts. Located in Antalya's breathtaking Konyaaltı coasts, surrounded by the natural green beauty... Close enough to liveliness of the city, yet far enough to get lost among the magic turquoise waters and glittering sun... Lots of thought has been given into even the tiniest details in BeachPark to meet the needs of those longing for a wonderful break-away to get rid of all city stressors. Whether you are just by yourself, with your family or friends, coming to BeachPark and picking one of a hundred leisurely activities is all it takes to spend an unforgettable day.

Beachpark

There are a number of caves in the city that you can visit, which include:

• Altinbesik Dudensu Cave
• Beldibi Cave
• Damlatas Cave
• Karain Cave
• Kocain Cave

Each of these caves has a special appeal that makes it unique

Sites of interest in the city centre

• Karpuzkaldıran
• Tünek Hill
• Karaalioglu Park
• Arapsu Bridge
• Lara Beach
• Minicity
• Antalya Aquarium

Moreover, you can visit ancient cities near Antalya such as Aspendos, Olimpos, Side, Selge, Perge, Phaselis, ve Termessos.

Read More

Antalya Kaleici (The Fortress) and Marina

The ancient city center enclosed by the sea and land walls is today called the "Kale Ici" (Inner Bailey). The streets and buildings still bear the marks of Antalya's history. The characteristic of the houses do not lie only in their architecture but reflect the living habits, customs and social ways of the inhabitants of ancient Antalya and are thus a valuable source of information.

 

This streets within the bailey are narrow, and stretch upwards from the harbor and along by the walls. The difference in the houses shows the economic status of the owners or the purpose for which they were used. However, they share many common factors. Most of them were built of masonry interspersed with timber.

Each one has a front and back garden. They are very few windows on the street side of the first floor of the house. On the top floor is a "cumba" or trellised projection in harmony with the architecture of the house and street, adorned with wooden ornaments. The center of the house is on the ground floor and opens onto a paved courtyard called "taslik" and where there are wooden benches. This leads into the ground floor rooms and there is also a staircase to the upper floors. The ground floor is largely the house's servicing area and consists of the kitchen, storage room, etc. while the upper floor contains the living quarters, although kitchen and storage room can sometimes be seen on the top floor. The upper floor rooms are larger and lighter with large windows. In some of these houses the top floor rooms have two rows of windows, one on top of the other, and in some cases the upper rows do not have any glass only wooden lattices. The bottom row can be opened. In the upper part of some of the "cumba" are small pieces of glass, sometimes colored.

A few of the buildings within the harbor have been restored and restoration is continuing. Today in the inner bailey, can be found places of entertainment, guesthouses, restaurants, shops selling souvenirs and old carpets and other necessities, a supermarket servicing the yacht as well as other amenities required by them, and it is in fact an attractive center of tourism. The port of Antalya was formerly considered after Mersin as the only port on Turkey's western seaboard where ships could dock. However, today it is used exclusively as a yacht harbor. After the new industrial harbor west of Antalya went into operation, the former port became known as the Yacht Harbor. The ancient city of Antalya was protected by two walls, in the shape of a horseshoe, one enclosing it along the shore and the other inland. In addition, there were walls within the city separating the various settlements, and a great number of towers on the outer walls at 50 paces from each other. These walls date back to ancient times and, as was the general rule, the Romans built on the Hellenistic foundations and these were subsequently widens and repaired by the Seljuks. Many stone blocks with ancient inscriptions were used and the walls were well protected until the end of the 19th century. Today in the city can be seen the remains of some of the walls, a few turrets, Hadrian's Gate, the Clock Tower, and the Hidirlik Tower. This is one of the best preserved monuments in Antalya. This Roman edifice was built in 130 A.D. to honor the Emperor Hadrian.

Formerly the city walls enclosed the outside of the gate and it was not used for many years. This may be the reason why it has not been destroyed, and it was only revealed when the walls collapsed. It is considered as Pamphylia's most beautiful Gate. The upper part has three apertures in the shape of a cupola, and except for the pillars is built entirely of white marble. The ornamentation is very striking. The original Gate was two storeys but little is known of the top storey.

On either side of the Gate are towers, which are known not to have been built at the same time. The southern one is known as the Julia Sancta tower and is a work of the Hadrian era. It was constructed of plain stone blocks. While the base of the northern tower belongs to antiquity, the upper part is left over from the Seljuks.

 

It is worth while stopping in front of the Gate and reflecting for a few moments. On the one hand you are standing on modern Antalya's dual carriageway, lined with palm and orange trees, Ataturk Caddesi, while behind you is ancient Attaleia, the past and the present separated by Pamphylia's most beautiful Gate, which itself has on either side towers representing the art and civilization of two different epochs. This blending of the epochs is something peculiar to Antalya and can be often seen.

The Hidirlik Tower, which has a square base surmounted by a cylindrical edifice, can be seen at the southern most point of the land walls. Belonging to ancient times, there is a large square block in the interior. The tower is a very solid building and, from the shape of the inside, it is thought to have been used for defense or to send out signals by lighting a fire.

Examination of the TRUNCATED MINARET MOSQUE reveals that it dates to the 2nd century A.D. and that in the 5th century A.D. a basilica was built on an ancient temple. The son of Bayazit II, Sultan Korkud, transformed it into a mosque and had a minaret added. When a fire broke out in the 19th century the timber section of the minaret was burnt out, and since then it has been called the "truncated minaret". It is to this day in a state of disrepair and does not function as a mosque, but as visitors can see ancient, Byzantine and Seljuk remains all at one time, it still serves as an unusually interesting sight.

The "Kalekapisi" neighborhood is where number of buildings of Seljuk origin are concentrated, and consist of the following: the Fluted (Yivli) Minaret, the Yivli Mosque, the Giyaseddin Keyhusrev Medrese, the Seljuk Medrese, the Mevlevi Han, the Zincirkiran Mausoleum and the Nigar Hatun Mausoleum.

The Fluted Minaret is one of the first Muslim edifices in Antalya and is an 18th century work of the Seljuk period. Its base is of hewn stone and the trunk of bricks and turquoise colored tiles, and it has eight grooves. This minaret has now become the symbol of Antalya. It is 38 meters high and the top is reached by 90 steps.

The Yivli Minaret Mosque is to the west of the Truncated Minaret. It is the oldest example of the multicupola construction in Anatolia; it is covered by six semi-spherical cupolas. It was built in 1372 by Balaban Tavsi and it can be seen that ancient ruins have been used in addition to other products in its construction.

Giyaseddin Keyhusrev had the Medrese built in his name by Atabey Armagan in 1239. Facing the entrance of this building are the ruins of what is thought to be a 13th century Seljuk Medrese.

The Zincirkiran Mausoleum is north of the Fluted Minaret in the upper garden and is of Seljuk design. However, because of the simplicity of the exterior, of having windows, and the tombs being at a lower level, it has the characteristics of the Ottoman Mausoleums. In was built in 1379 and contains three tombs.

The Nigar Hatun Mausoleum is also north of the Fluted Minaret. It is of simple design and is hexagonal in shape. The Seljuk style mausoleum dates back to 1502.

It is believed that the Mevlevis house to the west of the Zincirkiran Mausoleum was built by Aladdin Keykubat in 1225. Its inscription has been effaced, but the building has been repaired and is today used as a fine arts gallery.

ISKELE MOSQUE is a very small and pretty mosque in the old Yacht Harbor. It is not known when it was built, but it was repaired within the framework of the Inner Bailey restoration project.

Read More

Lara - Antalya

Lara is a district of Antalya city, Turkey. Its famous beach, Lara beach, is one of the longest sand beaches in Turkey. Lara is the home to many themed 5 to 7 star hotels, mainly in the Kundu area. Most of the hotels are replicas of famous places around the world (for example Topkapi Palace, Venice, Kremlin) which has led to the area being nicknamed "Las Vegas in Turkey".

Read More

Konyalltı - Antalya

Konyaaltı is a district of Antalya, Turkey. The name Konyaaltı, which means "below Konya", stems from the fact that the city of Antalya was an administrative part of the city of Konya during the Ottoman Empire, and the location of the beach is where the steep cliff of the city ends.

It is situated beneath the old city of Antalya extending miles toward west with various kinds of beaches from sand to shingle. The water is a little cooler compared to other beaches of Antalya because of an underground creek flowing to the sea. There are modern underground facilities for aesthetical reasons. Transportation is easy by means of a buses etc. It is reachable by foot as well.

Read More

Scuba Diving in Antalya

Antalya has the most beautiful underwater world of the Mediterranean Sea. We have experienced diving schools. You should try this pleasure.

The most famous diving areas in Antalya are in Kemer, Kaş, Side, Alanya, Kumluca, and Kiriş.

For more information, you should visit these web pages:

http://www.tssf.gov.tr/Default.aspx?lang=EN&type=home

http://www.dive-centers.net/diving-antalya-434-diving-turkey-83.html

http://www.naturablue.com/en/

http://www.nautilusdiving.org/

http://www.scubaturkiye.com/EN/index/default.asp

Read More