Hadrian's Gate was built in 130 due to Roman Emperor Hadrianus in Antalya, on Atatürk Street, on the Ancient Port walls. The emperor entered the city through this magnificent gate. The monumental structure has managed to be preserved until today. It is one of the most valuable historical artifacts among the city's symbols. Hadrian's Gate is the most preferred route for entrances to Kaleiçi and is also called 'Three Gates' among the people.
Hadrian's Gate was closed for defensive purposes in the Byzantine Period by building walls in its front and rear sections not to be seen from inside and outside the city. It was reopened in 1881. As a result of the works initiated by the efforts of Turhan Pasha, one of the governors of the period, half of the gate was unearthed. The columns of the original two-storey building were damaged during the excavation of the buried lower part, and instead of the collapsed columns, knitted obelisk style, pyramid-shaped stone buttresses were added. These buttresses were removed during the great restoration of the door in 1959, and columns made of white marble were placed by the original.
Hadrian's Gate, with its architectural features and style, resembles the triumphal arch of the Roman Period. Therefore, it can be thought that there are probably statues of the emperor and the dynasty on the upper part, which has not survived.
There are four marble columns on both sides of the Hadrian's Gate, which bear traces of the civilizations of the period. In addition to its symmetrical design, there are 2 towers on the sides of the three-arched door. It draws attention with its eye-catching carving and relief decorations. The Julia Sancta Tower in the south was built of block stones. Although it belongs to the Roman Period, it is thought that it was built independently of the door since it has a different style in terms of architecture. The lower part of the tower in the north is from Antiquity. The upper parts were built during the Seljuk Period. There is also an inscription in Latin on the door.
Reflecting the magnificence and majesty of ancient times with all its richness in one of the most modern streets of Antalya, where historical buildings are seen almost everywhere, Hadrian's Gate virtually establishes a bridge between the past and the present. The gate was described as the most ostentatious gate of Pamphylia. It is the ideal entry point that allows you to step into the magical atmosphere of Kaleiçi.
