Attalia
Where is Attalia today? Antalya itself, around the historic Kaleiçi harbour, where Paul and Barnabas set sail for Antioch at the end of their first journey.
- Today
- Antalya (Kaleiçi, Muratpaşa)
- Country
- Türkiye
- Status
- Historic city centre: Kaleiçi and the old harbour
- Identification
- Certain
Attalia was the main harbour on the coast of Pamphylia and takes its name from its founder, King Attalus II of Pergamum. The Bible mentions it only once: at the end of their first missionary journey, after preaching in Perga, Paul and Barnabas went down to Attalia and sailed from there back to Antioch (Acts 14:25–26). At the start of the journey they had also come from Cyprus to the Pamphylian coast (Acts 13:13). Ancient Attalia is today Kaleiçi, the historic heart of Antalya.
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Related topics
Related people
- Paul
- Peter
- Barnabas
- Stephen
- Lydia
- Matthew
- Timothy
- John the Apostle
- Philip the Apostle
- Judas Iscariot
- Mark
Related verse collections
- Bible Verses About Salvation
- Bible Verses About Repentance
- Bible Verses About Generosity
- Bible Verses About Witness
Reading plans
- The Early Church Through Acts — 28 Days
- The Bible in a Year — 365 Days from Cover to Cover
- 30 Days with the Gospel — An Introduction to the New Testament
Books
Places in the Bible
Where is Attalia today?
Attalia is today in Türkiye: it is the city of Antalya, and the ancient port lives on in the historic Kaleiçi quarter of the Muratpaşa district. Paul and Barnabas sailed from here back to Antioch at the end of their first journey (Acts 14:25–26). In Kaleiçi you can see the old harbour, Hadrian's Gate built for the emperor's visit, the Hıdırlık Tower and the Kesik Minare, used in turn as a temple, a church and a mosque.
Is Antalya mentioned in the Bible?
Yes, under its ancient name. Antalya was called Attalia, and it appears once in Acts: on the return leg of their first journey Paul and Barnabas boarded a ship here and sailed to Antioch (Acts 14:25–26).