Perge is the second biggest ancient city in Anatolia and is situated in the district of the town of Aksu. The ruins of the city are vast and although excavations started in 1946 today the city has still not been fully uncovered. Here you will find the ruins of the once magnificent theatre, a u-shaped stadium which is still in a very good state of preservation, a Gateway and the remains of the wall that surrounded Perge in the Hellenistic period.

Just 10 minutes from Augustus Village you can visit the beautiful and bustling town of Side, situated on a peninsula one kilometre long and four hundred metres wide.

The name Side in the Anatolian language means “pomegranate”. Here you can indulge your passion for times gone by with the abundance of historic monuments, museums, the superb Side theatre where the annual festival of the area is held, and the magnificent grandeur of Apollo’s Temple almost stretching into the arms of the sea. But Side has more to offer for its many visitors such as the plethora of shops with colourful vendors and goods and cosy little restaurants where the visitor can relax and enjoy good local food.

Here, among the ruins of Aspendos, you can find the best preserved ancient theatre in Turkey, built with a seating capacity of around 20,000 and one that is still in use today. During the summer months you can attend a concert, ballet or opera depending on the current programme for the season. This is truly an opportunity not to miss. Aspendos also offers views of a once magnificent aqueduct, constructed in Roman times around the 1st or 2nd century A.D.

Although Antalya is today a modern city there are still traces of old Turkey that are worth searching for. The Hidirlik tower stills stands and the Karatay Medresse, an ancient castle overlooking the harbour with its old houses nestled inside. If the region’s art and history is for you then you must visit the Antalya Museum.

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