What stories lie beneath our feet here at Kütükçü Mezarlığı? This is not just a final resting place. It is a chronicle etched in stone.
Kütükçü Mezarlığı is located in the Kepez district of Antalya. Kepez is a large area. It covers 292 square kilometers. Over 600,000 people call Kepez home.
The name Kepez means rocky area. This describes the landscape before the city grew. Today, Kepez is part of the larger Antalya metropolitan area.
Antalya’s history is long. It involves Romans and sultans. King Attalus II founded Antalya as a naval base in the 1st century BC. He named it Attaleia. The Romans took over and Emperor Hadrian even visited. His visit is remembered by Hadrian’s Gate.
Christianity also came to Antalya. The Apostle Paul visited in the 2nd century AD. Later, the Seljuk Turks captured the city in 1207. They renamed it Antaliya. The Seljuks built the Yivli Minare. It remains a symbol of the city.
The Ottomans took control in the late 14th century. Antalya was divided into quarters. Christians, Jews, Greeks, and Turks lived together. Walls protected the port.
After World War I, Italians briefly controlled Antalya. Atatürk’s armies liberated the city in 1921. In 1923, Antalya became part of the Turkish Republic.
Kütükçü Mezarlığı is in Kütükçü neighborhood. Kütükçü’s population in 2023 was 8,459. The neighborhood is managed by a headman.
Kepez has many attractions. These include Düden Waterfalls and Antalya Zoo. The ancient city of Lyrboton Kome is also nearby. It was an important olive oil production center.
As we stand in Kütükçü Mezarlığı, remember the layers of history around us. From ancient cities to modern neighborhoods, Antalya’s past is always present. The stones here at Kütükçü Mezarlığı whisper tales of lives lived. They echo through the ages.