Ancient Perge is located in the Aksu district, about 15 km east of the city center of Antalya. It is one of the largest archaeological sites of ancient Pamphylia in southern Turkey. The city arose on the Kestros River, now known as the Aksu, and held an important position on the route between the inland regions and the coast. Since 2009, Perge has been included in the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage List.

The history of the settlement begins in deep antiquity: archaeologists associate the early stage of occupation of this place with the Bronze Age. Later, Perge developed during the Hellenistic period and reached its greatest flourishing under the Romans, in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. It was then that wide colonnaded streets, monumental gates, public buildings, baths, a theatre, a stadium, and city squares appeared here.

Perge is known not only as an ancient city, but also as one of the early centers of Christianity. It is mentioned in connection with the journeys of the Apostle Paul. Over time, the importance of the city declined: changes in the riverbed, the loss of access to the sea, and external threats led to a gradual decline, and by the Middle Ages the city was largely abandoned.

Today, Perge is interesting because it allows visitors to see the layout of a large Roman city in the open air. The Hellenistic towers and gates, a long colonnaded street with a central water canal, the agora, nymphaeum, baths, stadium, theatre, sections of the fortification walls, and remains of residential quarters have been preserved here. A visit is especially suitable for those who want to understand the structure of an ancient city not through isolated ruins, but as a complete archaeological complex.