Perga
Perga was once a part of the Pamphylia region and a prominent city under the Roman rule. The city dates back to 1000 BC however the majority of the remains that can be seen today are Roman and date back to the 12th century BC. Follow the colonnaded street through the ruined buildings and scattered stones and you will find the ancient agora and southern baths. Walk up the hill past derelict building and you can see, not just the acropolis, but also a stunning panorama over the remarkable site. Most impressive structures are the Grand theatre and the Stadium which are both relatively well preserved, along with the Hellenistic-Roman gate towers that dominate the site.
The city was built inland, as a defensive measure to avoid the frequent pirates raids and Arab invasions. Perga was also home to the great mathematician Apollonius, who studied under Archimedes, writing a series of books describing the family of curves known as conic sections, including the circle, ellipse, parabola and hyperbola.
Other historical sites of interest around the city of Antalya include the Ancient Lycian City of Termessos and the Aspendos Roman Amphitheatre, it is possible to visit all three in the same day by car or by private tour. Located just 15 kilometers from the centre of Antalya, Perga is also the starting/finishing point for Turkey's second long distance hiking trail 'St Paul's Way' which spans for 500 kilometers towards the Anatolian Plateau and the banks of Lake Egirdir.