The history of Kaleici is as rich and varied as the architecture. Many structures are marked by traces of 7 civilizations. To this day they are covert. Located in the heart of the old city, Alp Pasa is like the key to a chest of treasures. Your stay in the hotel will be complemented by exciting walking to the ancient objects thanks to the central location. All roads here lead you to Antalya's past.

 

 

Walk from Alp Pasa to a big monument of the Roman period. Or visit the mosque and minaret that have seen more than one culture. It will be an adventure to discover the fortress walls. These places particularly appeal. Buildings of the 2nd century AD, a mixture of epochs, unknown destinations. You are here to witness their power.

 

 

 

 

These lands have seen many civilizations. The first people began to inhabit this region 40 thousand years ago. There were Hittites, Thracians, Greeks, Lydians. Governments of Pamphylia, Lycia, Cilicia, Persia, Alexander the Great, Seleucids and Pergamon fought for dominance here. Its ruler Attalus II laid the first stone of the fortress here in 159 BC. Thus arose the city of Attalia. The place had a good location between the Tauride Mountains and Mediterranean. It made the city prosperous and attractive for warlike people. Both from land and sea Attalia was attacked by Romans, Arabs and even pirates.

 

 

The Romans took over the city in 133 BC. It was they who founded Kaleici. They built a port with high walls and towers. The XV century was the turning point. Antalya passed to the Ottoman Empire. Kaleici gathered different cultures in itself. Romans, Byzantines and traditional Islamic structures together. Some of them have a pristine appearance. Others have many riddles. Here you will find three places with a hidden history: Hıdırlık Tower, Şehzade Korkut with Kesik Minare and Marina.

 

 

 

 

There is one Roman building of the II century just 400 meters away from Alp Pasa hotel. Lighthouse, defensive tower, tomb. Its purpose has not yet been found. Many details indicate that this is a Roman mausoleum. But at the same time there are contradictions

 

 The tower was fully opened to Antalya in 2015. Before that its upsite was underground. Excavations are still being carried out here.

The construction resembles the mausoleum of antiquity Belevi and the tomb of Cecilia Metella. A consul or family could be buried here. It's seen in the fascia - images of statesmen of Rome. But before the laws prohibited burials within the city walls. And the tower was inside. Its front is turned towards Hadrian's Gate. The main goal of the builders was not the view of the tower from the sea, but from inside the city. Open these secrets when walking to Hıdırlık Tower.

 

 

 

 

Walk from the hotel 200 meters to Hesapci Street to the old mosque. It was built in the II century AD by the Romans as a classical temple. The XII century is a Byzantine church in honor of the Virgin Mary. In the 13th century after Seljuks it was transformed into a mosque with a minaret. King Peter I of Cyprus in 1361 again converted it into a church. Şehzade Korkut finally made it a mosque.

 

 

The place has survived many centuries. But was not spared by the fire of 1896. Some parts and minaret burned down. So the name Kesik Minare appeared - it means "broken". For a long time the minaret had no top. The mosque was restored in 2018. Today we see traces of different cultures outside and inside.

 

 

 

It takes 5 minutes to get to the port from Alp Pasa. Today there are pleasure ships. Before it used to be a harbor where pirates operated. The Romans were busy with wars and paid little attention to coastal areas. This gave impetus to the spread of pirates in the Mediterranean. They were the masters of the lands and used fortresses as their bases. Attalia was also raided. This is noticeable by the ruined walls of the fort in Kaleici.

 

 

Smuggling, robbery, slavery was pirates' job.

The fight against piracy lasted more than a century. The Roman commander Gnaeus Pompey was able to change the situation. He created a fleet to patrol the Mediterranean. Pirates were driven into distant bays and the peace reigned on the coast. Walking in Marina immerse yourself in the atmosphere of these times.

 

 

A city that has seen victories and defeats, joy and tears. Many nations fought for this place. Each of them left their own handwriting in architecture. Each century brought its own secrets.

 

In Alp Pasha you will begin this historical journey.

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