ABOUT KALEİÇİ

Old City of Antalya is surrounded by two thick arc shaped walls. One of the walls in the form of rampart goes along the beach and the other is situated on the land side.. In Addition to these walls, there are walls dividing various accommodation units and approximately fifty steps apart set a tower on the outer walls. The construction of these walls dates back to the ancient periods. Ancient romans have laid the base of the hellenistic walls and Seljucks have expanded and repaired them.

During the construction of the walls, many block of stones with ancient inscriptions were used and these were perfectly protected until the 19th century. Today, only the remains such as Hıdırlık Tower, Hadrian’ s Gate, and Saat Kulesi ( Clock tower ) appear in town for visitors. The ancient city and walls surrounded by the sea are called “Kaleiçi” . Streets and buildings still have many signs reflecting the history of Antalya. The characteristic stucture of the houses not only provides an insight about the architectural history of Antalya, but also perfectly reflects the life style, customs and traditions, and habits related to the daily lives.

The narrow streets in the rampart skirt along from the port to the upwards. Yivli Minare, Keyhüsrev Madrasah, Karatay Madrasah, İskele Mosque, Tekeli Mahmut Paşa Mosque are some of the most important historical artifacts. The marina is the place where the most beautiful scenery of the old city can be viewed all day and night long.

“Altın Elma” (The Golden Apple, The Tourism Oscar of Turkey) was given to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on April 28, 1984 by FIJET, for the restoration works of Kaleiçi.

Kaleiçi foundation was established in 2003, within the framework of our social responsibility activities, led by our Chairman of the board Kazım Yalçınoğlu. The aim of this foundation is to protect, develop, improve and rejuvenate the existing cultural heritage and restore & mend the historical buildings in Antalya region and primarily in Kaleiçi, help the cultural tourism to develop and receive necessary legal permission.

Furthermore, historical Ahi Kızı Mescidi which was built in the 14th century has been restored by our establishment and regained into Kaleiçi cultural heritage.