History of Antalya Region
Antalya has been settled for a long, long time. Evidence of human habitation dating back to early Paleolithic age (150,000-200,000) years has been discovered in the Karain caves, 30 km of the north of Antalya city near Yagcikoy. Remains of the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze ages were unearthed in this cave. Other finds dating back to the Mesolithic (Beldibi caves), Neolithic (Bademaýacý Höyüýü) and more recent periods show that the area has been populated by various civilizations throughout the ages.
The Hitties
The Hitites, who are believed to have come to Antalya from the Caucasus and Mesopotamia, exercised sovereignty over Antalya during the years 2500-1400 B.C. Historical maps of the region during the years 2000-1400 B.C. show that the Kingdom of the Hitites encompassed Antalya.
The tribes which came from Trakya during the 8th and 7th centuries B.C. put an end to the Hitite Civilization, and the city states of Pamphylia , Lycia and Cicilia were founded. Today's province of Antalya entirely covers Pamphylia, while parts overlap into southern Pisidya, western Cicilia and eastern Lycia .
While the origins of the people of the region were not precisely known, it is believed they were composed of various groups from Anatolian tribes and a Trakya tribe called Phyrgians. The word "Pamphylia" is of Greek origin and is composed of "pan" meaning many and "phyla" meaning race.
In the 9th and 8th centuries B.C. two waves immigrated to Anatolia from Greece resulting in many cities and centers of civilization being established. Today about 100 of these can be found within the boundaries of Antalya .
The Lydians
From the 7th century to the year 546 B.C. Antalya was under the sovereignty of the Lydians, when it was replaced by that of the Persians. Even before the Ancient Roman conquest Lycia was a kingdom with the first democratic constitution in the world, which later inspired the American Constitution.
The Macedonian commander Alexander the Great put an end to this sovereignty in 336, when he conquered all the cities of the region (with the exception of one or two places like Termessos). When Alexander died in 323 B.C., a war which was to last for several years started between his generals and this continued until 188 B.C. At this time the Seleucid King Antiochus 3rd was conquered by the King of Bergama and signed the Apamea peace treaty. The King of Bergama Attalos II rebuilt the existing city and the one we know today as Antalya came into being. From that time on it has been known successively as Attaleis, Adalia, Adalya and finally Antalya .
Attalos II
Attalos II Philadelphus was a King of Pergamon. He was the second son of Attalos I Soter, and ascended the throne following the death of his elder brother, Eumenes II in 160 BC.
Prior to becoming King Attalos II was already an accomplished military commander. In 190 BC, he resisted an invasion by the Seleucids and the following year (189 BC) led his forces to fight alongside the Roman Army under Gnaeus Manlius Vulso in Galatia. In 182 BC he again fought the Seleucids, successfully meeting the army of Pharnaces I of Pontus. Finally, he assisted the Romans again in 171 BC, joining Publius Licinius Crassus in Greece for the Third Macedonian War.
Attalos II also made frequent diplomatic visits to Rome, and gained the esteem of the Romans. At one point, they offered him assistance to overthrow his brother, but he declined. After he became King, they assisted him in his own battles against Prusias II in 156 BC–154 BC and sided with him in helping pretender Alexander Balas to seize the Seleucid throne from Demetrius I in 150 BC and Nicomedes II Epiphanes seize the Bithynian throne from his father Prusias II the following year.
Attalos II expanded his kingdom with the help of his good friend Ariarathes V of Cappadocia, and founded the cities of Philadelphia and Attalia. He was well-known as a patron of the arts and sciences, and was the inventor of a new kind of embroidery. In his old age, he relied upon his chief minister, named Philopoemen, to help him govern.
The Byzantines
During the mid-Byzantine era (the 5th and 6th centuries) the city of Antalya grew beyond the old city walls.
From the 7th century Muslim Arabs started to be dominant in the region and Antalya later played a part in the Christian Crusades against Islam. The army of Louis VII. sailed from Antalya for Syria in 1148, and the fleet of Richard of England rallied here before the conquest of Cyprus. Between the years 1120-1206, Antalya was again under the sovereignty of Byzantines.
The Seljuk Turks
In the 7th century A.D. the influence of Moslem Arabs began to make itself felt. The region came under Moslem sovereignty in the year 1085 with the advent of Suleyman Shah, one of the Seljuks of Anatolia. Prior to that, although Antalya was taken by Admiral Karinoglu Fazl in 860 A.D., it shortly thereafter came under the dominion of Byzantium . While in 1103 Antalya was captured by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Komnenos, it again fell to the Turks shortly thereafter. This change of hands occurred six times. From 1120-1206 Antalya was part of Byzantium . In 1206 Antalya fell to Sultan Gyaseddin Keyhusrev I. Upon his death the Christians again took possession of it, but his son Keykavus succeeded in winning it back in a short time.
When the Seljuks became weakened and unable to withstand the pressure exerted by the Ilhanlis, the era of independent "Beyliks" (emirates) began. During this period Antalya remained an independent Beylik for 95 years. From 1308-1426 the Teke Beyleri of the Hamidogullari exercised sovereignty over the region.
The Ottoman Empire
Existing sources do not agree on when Antalya came under Ottoman sovereignty. According to some, Antalya became part of Turkish soil in 1391 during the reign of Murat I. Some others claim that the region was conquered by Yildirim Beyazit and was presented as a gift to his son, Sultan Murat. Antalya , which remained under Ottoman dominion until the First Word War, was know to be an important port city under the Teke Sancak.
The Italian Occupation
Following the First Word War, Antalya was occupied on 29 April 1919 by the Italians. During this occupation every effort was made to avoid clashes between the local inhabitants and the occupying force. During the War of Independence, Antalya and the region supported the war on the western front by manpower and funds. It is known that the Italians assisted the Turks, especially from the point of view of intelligence. In early 1921 the Italians began to withdraw and by 5 July 1921 Antalya was completely free of the Italian occupation.
