Kaleici, also known as Old Antalya, is the small historic section at the center of the sprawling modern city which was the Roman town and the Byzantine, then the Seljuk Turkish, finally the Ottoman Turkish town.
The modern and huge city of Antalya didn't really start to appear until after World War II. Until then, Kaleici was Antalya, with its meandering streets, massive stone walls, and picturesque old houses built so close that they often overshadow the narrow lanes.
Its many charming small boutique hotels, pensions and inns offer fine dining in an old-time atmosphere and comfortable, even luxurious accommodations.
Kaleici surrounds and protects the old Roman harbour, which was Antalya's reason for being: even in Roman times, this was the outlet for the produce of the rich alluvial plain that beneath the southern slopes of the Taurus Mountains and stretches east from the city.
Today Kaleici is a protected district with strict regulations on constructing new buildings and with preservation of historic buildings in the area. In Kaleici it is possible to see some fairly ugly modern buildings, but they are being eliminated as the possibilities arise.
There are several entrances to Kaleici, but the most picturesque, historic and the most convenient one is Kalekapisi.