One of the advantages staying in the old town was I could find easily the historical sites, just in walking distance. The city that was once under the rule of Roman Empire, is filled with several construction monuments, such as Hadrian’s Gate, for instance. It stands as a witness to tell that once a civilization had been arrived.
Hadrian’s gate was built in 130 AD to commemorate the visit of Emperor Hadrian to Antalya. It is the only remaining entrance gate in the walls surrounding the city, and once known as the most beautiful gate in Asia minor. As typical Roman’s arch, Hadrian’s gate is equipped with three same-sized arch entries with overall heights around eight meters, from the pavement to the top of the gate. I could see the beautiful facades decorated with floral and rosette reliefs, both in the front and back of the gate, that were composed by the white marbles and granites. The statues of Emperor Hadrian and his family are believed probably decorated top the gate, but these are long gone. Two towers were added on the both side, but built in different times. The left on the front side belongs to the Roman, while the right side belongs to Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat, from the Selcuk Empire. The gate collapsed in 1950, but then restored in in 1959.
The gate is still functioned as a gate. Today, it leads into Kaleici and Hesapçi Sokak, that are occupied by several pensions, bars, cafes, and boutique hotels. Located on Atatürk Boulevard, it is almost impossible not to walk pass the gate. I passed this gate several times. If you are in Antalya, ensure for not missing this historical gate. If you can, try to make two visits, day and night. You will see the difference of the beauty in two different times.
Nurul in Turkey 