Manavgat is a municipality and
district
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
of
Antalya Province
Antalya Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey. It is located on the Mediterranean Region, Turkey, Mediterranean coast of south-west Turkey, between the Taur ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. Its area is 2,351 km
2, and its population is 252,941 (2022).
It is from the city of
Antalya
Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...
. The
Manavgat River has a
waterfall
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...
near the city.
Geography
Between the
Taurus Mountains
The Taurus Mountains (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ''Toroslar,'' Greek language, Greek'':'' Ταύρος) are a mountain range, mountain complex in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal reg ...
to the north, and the sandy beaches of the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
coast, much of the district is surrounded by a flat plain. This is mostly fertile farmland and agriculture is well-developed in Manavgat, keeping livestock and growing crops including grains, sesame and many fruits and vegetables; in recent years olives have also been planted. There is no industry except for food-processing, so apart from agriculture the local economy depends on tourism.
The mountains are covered with forests and typical Mediterranean shrubs, there are small plains higher in the mountains too, traditionally used for summer grazing by the
yörük nomads. Manavgat has a Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters; the temperature rarely drops to freezing. The district is irrigated by the Manavgat River, and has two dams for hydro-electric power. In 2001 plans began to export water from these reservoirs to
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and other Mediterranean countries including
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
and
Cyprus
Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
; as of 2006 these plans are on hold.
Climate
Manavgat has a
hot-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Csa''), with very hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.
History
The ancient cities of
Side and
Selge date back to the 6th century BC. Manavgat was taken over by the
Seljuk Turks
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turks, Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate society, Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persi ...
in 1220 and the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
in 1472. The town also has a castle named "Zindan Kalesi" literally
Dungeon Castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
in
English.
Tourism
With of hot, sunny coastline, much of it sandy beaches, with a long river and the waterfall, well-protected countryside including mountains and forests, Manavgat has an important tourist industry. There is plenty of accommodation on the coastline and many places to explore including historical sites, rivers, streams and caves. And there is the sea itself including the odd experience of swimming from fresh water into the salt sea at the rivermouth. Predictably the cuisine includes fish from the Mediterranean.
The villages of
Kumköy and
Ilıca on the coast are particularly lively.
Places of interest
*
Köprülü Canyon - in the middle of a forested
national park
A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
; the canyon is popular for river-rafting.
* The antique cities of:
**
Side, with its theatre and port.
**
Seleucia (Pamphylia) - visited by
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
**
Selge
*
Manavgat Waterfall, and another smaller waterfall on the river.
*
Oymapinar Dam
*
Tilkiler Cave
Forest
In 2021 there was the country’s largest forest fire to that time.
Composition
There are 106
neighbourhoods in Manavgat District:
Mahalle
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
* Ahmetler
* Aksaz
* Altınkaya
* Aşağıhisar
* Aşağıışıklar
* Aşağıpazarcı
* Aydınevler
* Bahçelievler
* Ballıbucak
* Belenobası
* Bereket
* Beşkonak
* Beydiğin
* Boztepe
* Bucakşeyhler
* Büklüce
* Burmahan
* Çağlayan
* Çakış
* Çaltepe
* Çardakköy
* Çavuşköy
* Çayyazı
* Çeltikçi
* Çenger
* Cevizler
* Çolaklı
* Değirmenözü
* Demirciler
* Denizkent
* Denizyaka
* Dikmen
* Doğançam
* Dolbazlar
* Düzağaç
* Emek
* Eski Hisar
* Evrenleryavşı
* Evrenseki
* Gaziler
* Gebece
* Gençler
* Gültepe
* Gündoğdu
* Güzelyalı
* Hacıali
* Hacıisalı
* Hacıobası
* Halitağalar
* Hatipler
* Hocalar
* Hocalı
* Ilıca
* Kadılar
* Kalemler
* Karabucak
* Karabük
* Karacalar
* Karakaya
* Karaöz
* Karavca
* Kasaplar
* Kavaklı
* Kırkkavak
* Kısalar
* Kızılağaç
* Kızıldağ
* Kızılot
* Milli Egemenlık
* Mimarsinan
* Namaras
* Odaönü
* Örenşehir
* Örnek
* Oymapınar
* Perakende
* Sağırin
* Salkım Evler
* Salur
* Sanayi
* Saraçlı
* Sarılar
* Şelale
* Sevinçköy
* Seydiler
* Side
* Sırtköy
* Şişeler
* Sorgun
* Sülek
* Taşağıl
* Taşkesiği
* Tepeköy
* Tilkiler
* Ulukapı
* Uzunkale
* Uzunlar
* Yalçıdibi
* Yavrudoğan
* Yayla
* Yaylaalan
* Yeniköy
* Yeşilbağ
* Yukarıhisar
* Yukarıışıklar
* Yukarıpazarcı
Gallery
File:ISS014-E-19854 - View of Turkey (cropped).jpg, Satellite view of Manavgat and Side
File:ManavgatMosque5.jpg, Inside Manavgat Mosque
File:Manavgat Waterfall (1) Red.jpg, Manavgat Waterfall
File:Köprülü Kanyon 08 04 2015 Kalkstein-Pancake Rocks am Börtü Böcek Kanyonu (Wanzen-Canyon) auf dem Weg nach Selge.jpg, Köprülü Canyon National Park
External links
Manavgat
- Manavgat Excellent Photos
Some 50 pictures of the town
Side-Manavgat
- Side and Manavgat
Titreyengol.com
- Titreyengöl in Manavgat
References
{{Authority control
Turkish Riviera
Populated places in Antalya Province
Districts of Antalya Province
Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey