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Antalya, one of Türkiye’s best-known tourism hubs, welcomed more than 3.25 million visitors to its museums and archaeological sites in 2025, underlining the city’s growing profile not only for sun and sea but also for cultural heritage and archaeology.
Beyond its beaches and resorts, Antalya stands out with its rich historical layers, shaped by multiple ancient civilizations. Museums displaying centuries-old artifacts and well-preserved archaeological sites, continued to attract strong interest from both domestic and international visitors throughout the year.
Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Candemir Zoroglu said 2025 turned into a record-breaking year, noting that overall tourist arrivals in Antalya reached 17.5 million, supported by particularly strong numbers in October and November. He added that preparations are already under way with an eye on 2026.
According to figures shared by the provincial directorate, the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre, associated with the historical figure behind Santa Claus, hosted around 198,000 visitors, making it the most visited museum site. The Side Museum followed closely. Among archaeological sites, ancient city of Phaselis ranked first with 481,000 visitors, while Patara and Olympos also recorded heavy footfall.
Zoroglu underlined that visitor satisfaction rose alongside numbers, especially in Phaselis and Olympos, where infrastructure improvements and site management have been stepped up.
Antalya remains at the center of Türkiye’s most extensive archaeological research under the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s "Heritage for the Future" Project. Zoroglu said academic teams, museum experts, and ministry staff are carrying out coordinated work at 24 different locations across the province, making Antalya a focal point for long-term archaeological investment.
Restoration and environmental design projects are also continuing. Zoroglu said authorities aim to reopen the Antalya Museum by the end of 2026, while visitor reception and departure centers are being developed or upgraded at major sites such as Aspendos, Perge, and Phaselis. He also confirmed that construction has begun on the Kemer Underwater Archaeology Museum at the ancient site of Idyros, which will be Türkiye’s second museum dedicated to underwater archaeology.
A key element of Antalya’s cultural tourism strategy has been night museology, which allows selected sites to remain open after dark with special lighting and security measures.
Zoroglu described the initiative as highly successful, saying, “Night museology is a very successful project. We are shaping our future strategy around it, as feedback from both tourism professionals and visitors has been extremely positive.”
He added that local businesses in Side, in particular, welcomed the longer opening hours, which helped keep the area lively into the evening.
Officials expect these combined efforts to further increase visitor flows in 2026, reinforcing Antalya’s role as a leading destination where tourism and archaeology move forward side by side.
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