The Famous Arch in Antalya: Hadrian’s Gate

Hadrian's Gate, probably Antalya's most famous historical landmark, is a grand entryway to the Kaleici or Old Town. Antalya's Old Town, which now houses many clubs, hotels, and souvenir booths, was formerly the city's inner fortress. Hadrian's Gate is a popular tourist attraction in Antalya, located near the Ataturk Boulevard and the Hadrian tram station. The old monument, which dates back to 130 AD, is part of the protecting city walls. The name referred to a critical event in the city's history when the Roman Emperor Hadrian visited Antalya in the second century AD.

Roman Arches

The grand Roman arches are little more than 4 meters wide and 6 meters high; however, the overall height with the thick stone frame is around 8 meters. The arches are surrounded on either side by four marble columns with beautifully carved floral cornices. Surprisingly, the two towers on either side of the Gate are not from the same era. While the southern tower, the Tower of Julia Sancta, was erected later than the Gate but still during the Roman period, only the base of the northern tower is from the Roman era; the bulk is a Seljuk Turk rebuild.

Hadrian's Gate is a classic Roman triumphal arc with three identical-sized archways and an overall height of roughly eight meters (26.2 feet) from the old pavement to the very top of the Gate's entablature. The front and rear of the Gate have wonderfully ornamented façades constructed of four columns each and fashioned of white marble. The structure on the very top of the Gate is highly significant, extending to both sides at the height of 1.28 meters (4.2 feet), and includes a frieze ornamented with floral themes and an ornate cornice with lion heads, among other images.