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Manavgat Waterfall Waterfall away 3 km at north of Manavgat. ************************************************* KOPRULU KANYON NATIONAL PARK is in the Manavgat district of the Antalya province. The road along the coast from Antalya to Manavgat then passes through Tasagil and Beskonak. ************************************************* ASPENDOS After passing Serik on the Antalya-Alanya highway, you turn north and continue for 4 km. Aspendos dates back to the 5th century B.C. The theatre, which was built in the 2nd century A.D., was periodically repaired by the Seljuks who used it as a caravanserai. It is one of the best preserved theatres to be found today. Allowing 0.50 m per seat, the theatre holds 17000 spectators, with an additional for 500 in the orchestra. Today it is used for concerts, festivals and grease wrestling events. In addition to the theatre the agora, basilica, nymphaeum and 15 km of aqueducts are to be seen. The pressured aqueduct system is a feat of engineering from the Roman period. ************************************************** The Apollo Temple is located within Byzantine Basilica together with the Athena Temple. In Corinthian style and peripteros design. From Roman period. Dates from A.D. 150's. A section was restored in 1983-1990 and recovered. Despite several earthquakes, Side has preserved the majority of its buildings. One of the most important is the one erected in honor of the Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus. When it was restored, it was transformed into a fountain. The magnificent theater of the ancient city, built on colonnaded arches, is the largest in the whole area. *Closed for restoration* Other monuments include the Agora, the Apollo Temple that is situated near the sea, a Fountain and Necropolis. The extensive Roman baths, now a museum, houses one of Turkey's finest archaeological collections. ************************************************** PERGE This city was built 18km east of Antalya between the Duden and Aksu streams. Is reached along the Antalya-Alanya highway, turning north at Aksu. As it was not on the coast, it was not subjected to raids by pirates and therefore continued its progress without interruption. It was settled in 1200 B.C. In 332 B.C. Perge, like Side, reached an agreement with Alexander and thus did not go to war or suffer the usual ravages. It lived through the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine epochs. Its 15,000 spectator theatre was built in the 2nd century A.D. and the nearby stadium could hold 12000. With the exception of the Aphrodisias stadium, it is the best preserved in Anatolia. There are 30 rooms, believed to have been used as shops, underneath the stadium seats. A great many statues and other valuable items have been unearthed in recent digs, of which many are in the Antalya Museum. Some of the things worth seeing in Perge are the gates, agora, nymphaeum, the pillared streets, sarcophagi, basilica and acropolis.
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