Kaleiçi is the old centre of Antalya, enclosed by walls both inside and out. Parts of those walls are still standing, and they were built by the various civilisations that lived here across more than two thousand years.
Within them, traditional houses line narrow streets running down to the harbour. Two or three storeys high, with one face to the street and the others to a garden, they are what carries the character of old Antalya.
The ancient harbour in Kaleiçi is now used as a marina. The marina and the old town together make the view that has drawn painters, writers and poets to it. Restaurants and cafés around the marina look out on the water, and day boats leave from here along the cliffs.
Historic buildings have been turned into hotels, guest houses, restaurants and bars, and the streets are full of bougainvillea and of shops selling local produce and souvenirs. Among the important historic buildings inside Kaleiçi are the Yivli Minare and its complex, the Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev medrese, the Karatay medrese, the Hıdırlık tower, Hadrian's Gate, the clock tower, the Şehzade Korkut mosque, the İskele mosque and the Tekeli Mahmut Paşa mosque.
Getting there
- Access
- Kaleiçi sits in the centre of Antalya. You can walk in, or come by city bus from the eastern and western sides of town, or by car.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Antalya as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from 10.1 °C in January to 28.6 °C in July; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in April, May, October and November; rainfall is heaviest in December (251 mm) and lightest in August (4 mm). Long-term means for 1930-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
