To anyone who has regularly visited the Maine coast, it can be difficult to be impressed by the beauty of other coastlines. No such difficulty exists to those visiting Antalya, an ancient city along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

When Mark Antony married Cleopatra, they honeymooned on this coast of Turkey. In fact, Antony presented this region of what is now called the “Turquoise Coast” as a wedding gift to his bride. The Romans left behind evidence of their power all along the coast of Turkey, including ruins of ancient cities that fascinate historians and visitors today.

To a Mainer, the pine-clad Taurus Mountains and the coastline of rocky headlands and secluded coves are more than a little reminiscent of home, with the exception of the turquoise-colored sea.

Thanks to 300 days of sunshine a year and a sparkling, clear sea, Antalya has become Turkey’s principal holiday resort. Major development in the area in recent years has made it a tourist-friendly spot that is attracting a growing number of world travelers, including many from the United States.

I had been to Istanbul, the capital, on other trips. This was my first visit to Antalya and I look forward to someday returning.

The city offers the contrast of palm-lined boulevards and a prize-winning marina with old wooden houses, ancient stone walls and narrow, winding streets overhung by balconies.

Since its founding in the second century B.C. by Attalus II, a king of Pergamon who named the city “Attaleia” after himself, the place has had a continuous history of cosmopolitan influence.

It was occupied by the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans, among others. Saint Paul visited here in 46 A.D. The Crusaders were also here. As recently as World War II, the city was occupied by Italian troops. The city’s move into the modern era came when Attaturk made Turkey a republic in 1923.

In the center of Antalya is the Yivli Minareli Mosque built in the 13th century, its elegant, fluted minaret now the symbol of the city. A massive, three-arched gate build to honor the Roman emperor Hadrian is another impressive landmark, along with two towers of the city walls, a clock tower, and the promenade, all just above the seafront.

From the Hotel Kislahan, an intimate Inn with 120 rooms located nearly in the center of the city, I was just a few minutes walk from the main street and the harbor.

I frequently walked down the steep, stone street to the harbor, a beautiful place with flowers and fruit trees, souvenir shops and restaurants where one can sit outside and sip a cup of thick, strong Turkish coffee.

Along the cliff above the marina and harbor is a lovely Tea Garden, which serves glasses of hot apple tea at open air tables where you meet lots of the local people and can enjoy the view over the blue Mediterranean. At the marina, you can book a cruise along the coast, with the city and mountains in the background. Pirates once used the many caves along the shore. A spectacular double waterfall — the Lower Duden Falls — plunges straight off these cliffs into the sea, a magnificent view from the boat.

Right near my hotel was the entrance to the Grand Bazaar, which features many small shops lining its narrow, covered walkways. It is a fascinating place that offers great bargains. Hot tea is offered by the merchants who ask you to enter their shops in order to convince you to buy.

The goods displayed were of fine value, including leather clothing, handcrafted jewelry, carpets — which are so famous here — copper and brass objects, and omnipresent blue glass beads, sold as good luck to keep away the “evil eye.”

For the U.S. tourist, prices are excellent. Turkey is suffering from inflation. Last November, the time of my visit, the exchange rate of the Turkish lira was 50,000 to one U.S. dollar. It made for transactions of paper money in the hundreds of thousands for even modest purchases.

Antalya’s warm climate is a natural for growing tropical fruit. Wonderful oranges and bananas are grown here and the streets are full of the fruit piled up for sale at shops and along the sidewalks. Especially delicious are the mandarin oranges. Everywhere the juice of oranges and pomegranates is offered at small stands, part of the healthful diet that is Turkish cuisine.

Fruits and vegetables, especially salads, are major staples. For the main course, lamb and fish are the most plentiful. The succulent Doner Kabob, consisting of slices of lamb carved in front of you off larger cuts roasting on spits over open fires, is rolled into pita bread.

Because this is a Muslim country, most Turks do not use alcohol, and you are reminded of their religion five times a day when the call to prayer echoes from minarets all over the city.

In addition to Antalya, there are many small towns along the coast, only an hour or so away by car, bus, or hired taxi. Without making the trip to famous Ephesus in the north, you can see wonderful remains of Roman occupation at Perge or Myra.

The ancient city of Myra is now famous as the birthplace of Santa Claus (St. Nicholas), the bishop of this Mediterranean locale during the fourth century who died here in 342 A.D. Legend has it he had the habit of tossing a bag of gold coins into the window of homes of the poor, the seeds of the western Santa legend. Every year in December, his life is celebrated and many tourists spend the holiday here.

U.S. citizens need a visa to enter Turkey, but this can be purchased for $20 upon arrival here — only in American dollars. Many people speak English, especially in resort areas. They are friendly and seem anxious to welcome Americans. Turkish Airlines offer flights directly from New York to Istanbul.

For more information, contact the Turkish Culture and Information Office, 821 United Nations Plaza, New York, N.Y., 10017; tel: (212) 687-2194.