25 April 2025 Antalya Museum • Home-Hosted Dinner

 This morning we had an archaeologist (M. Edip OZGUR) meet us at the hotel’s little courtyard for a talk about the ancient treasures at the Antalya Muzesi (Museum) which we visited after his talk. He was very interesting and told several stories from the excavations he worked on, mainly from the old Roman city of Perge.  His most interesting was the one where, after several years of searching for the missing head from the statue of Hercules, he found the head when he accidentally kicked it.

We then walked to where our buses must park outside the old city walls.  We passed through Republic Square where one of Antalya’s most famous landmarks, the Kemal Ataturk Monument,  is located.  This square and the monument commemorate Ataturk’s rise to power and his leadership in the founding of the Turkish Republic.  Created in 1964, the top of the monument features Ataturk riding a horse with a girl and a boy, symbolizing the country’s youth, at his side.  From the square we had beautiful views of the old town, the harbor and coastline of the city. 

Kemal Ataturk Monument

Homes and Coastline of Antalya

Homes in Old Town Antalya

Yivi Minaret (or Grooved or Flute Minaret) is
the Traditional Symbol of Antalya and
is Believed to be the Oldest Example of
Islamic Architecture. 

I

It was a short drive to the renowned archaeological Antalya Museum to explore artifacts from the Stone and Bronze Ages to the Byzantium Period that are contained in the museum’s many exhibition halls and open-air galleries. Perhaps most impressive is its large collection of sculptures dating back to Roman times from the ancient Roman city of Perge (which we visited the next day).  Many of these statues that we saw in the Museum once decorated the stage of the old Roman theater in Perge.  They were toppled and damaged during an earthquake and lay buried under dirt and rubble for the next 1600 years.  One of the main statues in the Museum is the state of Hercules, now with his head thanks to M. Edip OZGUR’s foot.  In 1988, the museum won the esteemed European Council Special Prize.  Below are some of the artifacts that we saw and I have added a little explanation of some of the pictures.

The Three Graces

The marble statue of the Three Graces dates back to the 2^nd century BCE and were the daughters of Zeus.  The three graces, as they are known in Roman mythology or the Three Charities as they are known in Greek mythology are:  Aglaea (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth), ad Thalia (Good Cheer).

Marsyas was a satyr (a wild woodland creature) who found a double-reeded flute (Aulos) that the goddess Athena had invented and then discarded.  He became so good at playing it that he believed his ability matched those of a god -- so confident in his ability that he challenged Apollo, the god of music, to a musical contest.  Marsyas lost, and as punishment for having the nerve to challenge Apollo, Apollo tied him to a tree and skinned him alive.  It is said that Marsyas’ fellow woodland creatures wept a river for him —the Rive Marsyas.

Pottery Jar Used to Bury People

Statue of the Dancing Woman

Statue of Hermes

Statue of Zeus

Statue of Alexander the Great

Some of the sarcophagi found in the Acropolis of Perge. These intricately carved marble sarcophagi usually held more than one person, most commonly a husband and wife.  Many of the carvings are of the deceased person.

Statue of Hercules the Tired 
(with his Head)

Statue of Athena (Minus her Head)

Statue of Emperor Trajan and his Wife

One of the Many Peacocks on the
Museum Grounds

White Peacocks

Male Peacock Trying to Impress
the Ladies

Returning back to our hotel, we had a little time to further explore Antalya’s beautiful coastline and enjoy lunch at one of the seaside restaurants.

Antalya's Harbor

Antalya's Harbor

Part of Antalya's Old City Walls

That evening we had another of OAT’s cultural experiences – a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local family.  As we walked to our buses Ahmet took us to see Hadrian’s Gate, a triumphal arch built into the fortification walls and named for the Roman emperor who visited Antalya in 130 CE.  It is the only remaining entrance into the Old Town and the harbor.  It was built on four pedestals with columns supporting the three arches.  The gate was built between two watch towers in the city walls.  The gate is covered with beautiful ornate floral motif friezes and cornices.  There used to be statues of the emperor and his family on the top of the arches, but they have been removed with some finding new homes in some of Europe’s museums.

Hadrian's Gate

Floral Motif on the Ceiling of Gate

We then drove to our family’s home.  The family consisted of a man, a retired geologist and his wife.  They have 2 children – a son who is married with one son and who now lives in his own home and a daughter that just graduation from college but still lives with her parents.  She was working that evening, so we did not get to meet her.  His wife was a really good cook and boy did she cook us a large meal.  In addition to all the little Turkish appetizers, like hummus, olives, pickled beets and cucumbers, roasted peppers and tomatoes, we had homemade bread, moussaka, and for dessert, homemade baklava.  It was an enjoyable evening as our host told us about Turkey’s retirement laws (you used to be able to retire after 20 years of work, but now must be 65).  He was able to retire under the old system.  And when his son got married, he rebuilt the upper level of his home into a home for his son.  They now rent out the upper apartment for some additional income.