Perge Ancient City Guide: What to See & How to Get There

Perge was one of the leading cities of ancient Pamphylia, the coastal plain east of Antalya. Its ruins lie next to the district of Aksu, between Antalya city and the resort area of Belek, and only a short way from Antalya Airport. If you stay in Lara or Kundu, it is one of the closest major ancient sites to your hotel.

Unlike sites built on steep hills, Perge spreads out on flat ground, so walking is easy. What makes it special is the scale: you can follow a city plan from the gates through the main streets to the public buildings, and get a real feel for daily life in a Roman city. Allow around two hours for a relaxed walk through the main area.

Most visitors enter near the southern part of the city. The sight that greets you is the famous pair of round Hellenistic towers, which flanked the main gate and are among the best-known images of Perge.

• The Roman gate: the outer gate built in later Roman times, in front of the older defences.
• The Hellenistic gate with two towers: behind it, the tall round towers and an oval courtyard that was once decorated with statues and niches.
• Plancia Magna: this courtyard is linked with Plancia Magna, a wealthy and influential woman of Perge in the 2nd century AD who funded building work here. Her name appears in inscriptions found on site.

Take a moment between the towers to look north: the main street opens up straight ahead and gives you the classic view of the city.

The heart of a visit is the long colonnaded street running north from the gate. Columns line both sides, and down the middle runs a water channel that carried water from a fountain at the foot of the acropolis hill. Seeing this channel is one of the moments people remember most, because it shows how water was used to cool and decorate the street.

Along the way you pass:

• The agora: a large square market area surrounded by shops, with a round structure at its centre.
• The baths: a big Roman bath complex with rooms for cold, warm and hot bathing; traces of the heating system can still be seen.
• Shop fronts and mosaics: look down along the street for remains of floors and doorways.

At the northern end, the street meets a second avenue and the area below the acropolis. Few visitors walk all the way up, but the view back down the street is worth it if the heat allows.

Two big entertainment buildings stand outside the main walls, close to where you arrive:

• The stadium: one of the best-preserved ancient stadiums in Türkiye. Its long, horseshoe-shaped seating once held crowds watching races and games, and the vaulted spaces under the seats were used as shops.
• The theatre: built into a hillside, with a large seating area and a stage building decorated with reliefs.

If you have already seen the intact theatre at Aspendos, Perge's theatre and stadium add a different picture: here the focus is on the size of the city as a whole. Our Aspendos guide explains how to visit both in one morning.

Perge also has a place in early Christian history. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Paul and Barnabas passed through Perge on their first missionary journey, and later preached the word there before sailing on from Attalia, today's Antalya.

For many visitors with an interest in biblical history, walking the same streets is a meaningful part of a trip to the Antalya region. There is no single building on site that marks Paul's visit, so it is more about the atmosphere of the city than a specific monument.

Many of the finest statues found at Perge are no longer on site but in the Antalya Museum in Konyaaltı, on the western side of the city. The museum's halls of Roman statues, many from Perge, help you picture how the gates, baths and theatre once looked, with gods, emperors and leading citizens standing in their niches. Among them is the well-known Weary Heracles statue.

A good plan is to visit Perge in the morning, have lunch, and then spend the hot hours inside the museum. With a private car, you go straight from one to the other without changing transport. You can also pair Perge with Aspendos, or with the Düden Waterfalls, as described in our day trips by private car guide.

Perge is close to Lara, Kundu, Antalya city and Belek, so the drive is short from most hotels in the area. From Side or Kemer it becomes a longer half-day or full-day trip. Our private transfers use one vehicle just for your group: a Minivan or VIP Mercedes-Benz Vito for families, a Mercedes Sprinter for larger groups, with a fixed price per vehicle and free child seats on request. See the tours page for live prices.

• Sun: the site is open and flat with almost no shade. Go early or late, bring a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water.
• Shoes: paving stones are uneven; wear closed, comfortable shoes.
• Tickets: check current entry details with the official sources before you go.