The province of Antalya corresponds to the lands of ancient Lycia to the west, Pamphylia to the east, and part of Pisidia to the north.

It features a shoreline of 657 km (408 mi) with beaches, ports, and ancient cities scattered throughout, including the World Heritage Site Xanthos.

Evidence of human habitation dating back to the early Paleolithic age (150,000-200,000) years has been discovered in the Karain cave, 30 km (19 mi) of the north of Antalya city.

[3] Other finds dating back to the Mesolithic (Beldibi Cave), Neolithic (Bademağacı Höyüğü) and more recent periods show that the area has been populated by various civilizations throughout the ages.

A people called the Termilae, from Crete, also settled and eventually dominated the coastal margins, which were known as Trm̃mis (while the Milyae became concentrated in the mountains).

Records from the Hittite period refer to the inhabitas and the area as Lukka, and document lively interactions with neighboring regions in the 2nd millennium BC.

The Lukka were known for their seafaring skills (including piracy) and demonstrated a fiery, independent spirit; neither the Hittites, nor the Arzawa, to the west, could ever dominate them for long.

The Kingdom of Italy was guaranteed the province in the Agreement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, although the other members of the Allied Powers disputed the legality of this treaty.

Antalya was briefly occupied by the Royal Italian Army before becoming part of the Republic of Turkey during the Turkish War of Independence led by Atatürk in 1921.

The Teke Peninsula (corresponds to ancient Lycia) in the west includes wide plateaus and river basins.

Climate, agriculture, demographics and habitation patterns differ greatly between the inland mountain areas and the coastal plain.

The Antalya basin consists of three sub-basins: the Manavgat in the east, the Köprü Çay in the middle, and the Aksu in the west.

[8]: 142  Offshore from the Aksu's mouth, there is no canyon; there is instead a shallow marine shelf where the river deposits sediments in a broad area.

[9]: 9 A narrow band of limestone deposits stretch from Gebiz in the north to the Küçük Asar Tepe hills in the south.

Kanal V, the only active local television network of the province is aired nationally in Turkey by Turksat 4A satellite.

In rivers rafting and canoeing sports and on the Taurus mountains jeep safari, hunting and trekking tours are organised.

east of Antalya, there is a big potential for golf tourism with the bonus of the cultural, historical and natural sightseeing of the region.

There are underwater diving centres on the coast, primarily in Kemer, Çamyuva, Olympos, Adrasan, Kaş, Kalkan, Üçağız, Kekova, Side and Alanya.