Antalya & its fine museum

Saturday, 21 June 2014

A popular coastal resort Antalya was the jumping off point for visits to three nearby archaeological sites – Termessos, Aspendos and Perge. It’s also got some archaeology right in the town, the narrow streets of the old port area of Kaleiçi has remnants of the old Roman Wall including the fine Hadrian’s Gate.

◄ Today it’s a busy, active tourist area with some great street art like this collection of colourful umbrellas.

▲ Or this collection of crockery attached to a wall.

◄ The Antalya Museum has an extensive collection of Roman statuary, particularly from Perge. Like this one of the Emperor Hadrian

 

 

My favourite, however, was a sarcophagus, topped by figures of the respectable looking couple interred there, presumably bar or winery owners because two sides of the tomb are illustrated by an exuberant scene of Bacchanalian, Dionysian excess. Backed by assorted vines and bunches of grapes there are assorted semi-naked and naked couples pawing each other, pulling togas off, forgetting assorted children, passing out in drunken stupors and generally illustrating what good fun the Romans had when they got a few amphorae of wine into them. ▼