» Day 2 - Antalya / Perge / Aspendos (Pamphylia) (B,L,D)

We are in Ancient Pamphylia, the “land of all races:” from the 12th century BC on, many ethnic groups of different origins were added to the native population, so much so that Greek dialect of Pamphylia was considered semi-barbaric. Originally dominated by the Hittites, from the 6th century BC until its conquest by Alexander the Great, the region was under Persian control. Under the Romans Pamphylia flourished economically and culturally and after the initial wars against the pirates, the pax romana reigned supreme. Today we visit the two most ancient and important cities of Pamphhylia: Aspendos and Perge. Although the city originated around 1000 BC , the city of Perge that we see belongs largely to the Greco-Roman era: a large treasure chest of streets with colonnades, Asia Minor’s biggest stadium, thermal baths among the best of Anatolia, Hellenistic fortifications that are an important example of military architecture and a theatre with a marvellous view over city lying below. But one of the most impressive, beautiful and best preserved theatres of Roman antiquity is at Aspendos, where we find also one of the most interesting aqueducts of Anatolia. We return to Antalya, the region’s most lively city, located on a majestic bay, where there is a fortified harbour, the Museum of Ethnography and Archaeology, which we visit, the Gate of Hadrian and the Yivli Minare Mosque, known for its characteristic fluted minaret, the symbol of the city. Dinner overnight at hotel in Antalya.