Geography

Antalya is in south-west Anatolia, on the Mediterranean Gulf of Antalya, approximately 546 kilometres (339 mi) from Ankara, 562 kilometres (349 mi) from Adana, 466 kilometres (290 mi) from Izmir, and 727 kilometres (452 mi) from Istanbul.

The Taurus mountain range of southern Anatolia runs parallel to the Mediterranean in an east-west direction, resulting in the formation of narrow coastal plains surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on the fourth. Some parts of the coast feature mountains plunging sharply into the sea, forming small natural bays and peninsulas. Antalya is situated on one such plain where the mountains recede from the shore, consisting of two flat areas formed of travertine rock at a mean height of 35 metres (115 ft); the town center is located on the rocky plain closest the coast, with urban sprawl extending to the Kepezüstü Plain further inland.