Perge, Turkey

Perge, Turkey

Perge is the closest significant Roman ruin to Antalya, and well worth a visit.

You can make a day of ruin-hopping by combining it with visits to the great theater at Aspendos, the mountain erie of Termessos, or the seaside Hellenistic city (and now beach resort) of Side (map), or to the pleasant cool waterfall parks at Düden and Kurşunlu.

The Great Theater and the Stadium of Perge (PEHR-geh) are its most impressive and intact buildings, but the remnants of its massive Hellenistic-Roman gate-towers are most photographed because they're so unusual. (As of late 2011, the gate towers were under restoration, and enveloped in scaffolding.)

Through the gates are remnants of a fine colonnaded street—not as fine as the Arcadian Way at Ephesus, but still quite impressive. The southern baths and the agora are worth exploring. The acropolis, on a nearby hilltop, has few extant buildings but a fine overall panorama of the ruins.

With Antalya or Side as your base, car or guided tour are the easiest ways to visit Perge. By public transport, take a minibus from Antalya's Otogar (bus terminal) to the town of Aksu on the coastal highway, then hitch, hike or taxi 2 km (1.2 miles, a 20-minute walk) north to Perge.

Speaking of hiking, Perge is a starting-point for the St Paul Trail leading north up to the Anatolian plateau. (An alternate starting-point is Aspendos.)

Distances & Travel Times

Antalya: 17 km (10.5 miles) NE, 20 minutes

Aspendos: 34 km (21 miles) E, 35 minutes

Side: 52 km (32 miles) E, 50 minutes

Termessos: 47 km (29 miles) W, 1 hour

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Above, the gigantic ruined towers of the Hellenistic-Roman city gate—before the scaffolding.

Below, the city's Roman stadium, with the acropolis in the background.