Lying on the southern coast of Turkey, reaching deep into the Gulf of Antalya (Antalya Körfezi), the city of Antalya is enclosed by a mountainous belt, made up of the Lycian Taurus (Bey Daglari) to the west, a limestone massif that steeps down from 3,086m, and the Lower Cilician Taurus to the east. From here, the town huddles around the Old Harbor, settled at the bottom of a 23m towering cliff. The town and the high crests of the hills are set apart by the wide-raging Konyaalti beach, a key attraction for holiday makers.

All this enclosure is like a vast magical playground where waters and winds alike have been chasing the rocks to mold them into incredible caves and canyons, waterfalls and thermal springs that attract thousands of tourists every year.

BELDIBI CAVE

40km from the Antalya - Kemer highway, 25m high above the coast and just past the Camdag tunnel there is BELDIBI CAVE, a shelter like cave which, regrettably enough, has been seriously damaged by Nature's violent force. Due to the large number of archeological relics found in here, the cave is used like an archaeological site which is constantly open for locals and tourists alike. The latest excavations have brought to light artifacts belonging to Mesolithic cultures which share similar features with the Alizarin, Solitarian and Tardenovasior cultures discovered in Europe. Apart from the rather odd appearance of an under-rock shelter, inquisitive tourists are sure to discover here human, mountain goat and deer sketches drawn on the cave walls as well as tools from the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolotic periods.