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Antalya's Hadrian's Gate, a nearly 1,900-year-old landmark in the historic Kaleici district, has been illuminated to highlight its rich ornamentation and magnificent architecture, showcasing the city's history after dark.
Located at the entrance to Kaleici in the Muratpasa district and popularly known as "Uckapilar" (Three Gates), Hadrian's Gate is among the best-preserved historic structures surviving in Antalya today.
Built as a monumental triumphal arch on the walls surrounding the city to honor Roman Emperor Hadrian's visit to Antalya in 130 A.D., the structure is largely made of white marble, aside from the column shafts.
The gate consists of three symmetrical arches, each 4.15 meters (13.6 feet) wide and 6.18 meters high. The structure, notable for its towers reaching approximately 15 meters in height, has a gate section that reaches eight meters high.
The gate, decorated with rich reliefs and carvings, features coffered ceiling panels adorned with daisy-like floral patterns as well as fruit and leaf motifs. These decorations are believed to symbolize the crops cultivated in and around Antalya in ancient times, as well as the region's fertility.
Hadrian's Gate, which features lion-head figures on its cornice section, has defensive towers on either side. The southern tower is known to date from the Roman period, while the lower section of the northern tower dates back to antiquity, and its upper section was built during the reign of Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I.
Having remained behind the city walls for many years and thus largely protected from external factors, the structure was rediscovered in 1882 when the remains of the walls were removed.
Hadrian's Gate, which underwent a comprehensive restoration in 1959, continues to serve as an important crossing point that brings together the city's historic fabric with modern life.
Hadrian's Gate, one of the historic structures most visited and photographed by domestic and foreign tourists in Antalya, was illuminated as part of a project carried out by the Antalya Governor's Office.
Thanks to the lighting, the historic structure takes on a different appearance in the evening and nighttime hours, with its architectural details becoming more prominent, while the gate continues to reflect the city's historic and cultural fabric after dark as well.
Antalya Governor Hulusi Sahin stated that the lighting project for Hadrian's Gate is being carried out by the Governor's Office through the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums.
Sahin noted that the project's budget was covered by the Governor's Office and stated that the lighting process had been completed. "The lighting process has been completed.
As far as I can see, everyone is pleased with it right now. We are considering continuing this and expanding the lighting along that city wall line," Sahin said.
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