Pamphylia is surrounded by the Taurus mountain range on three sides. To the South lies the Mediterranean Sea, a natural boundary. The fertile plain, which forms the core of the region and covers the flatlands of modern-day Antalya province, offers a sheltered area between the mountains and the sea. Although the mountain ranges surrounding the region form a natural barrier that isolates Pamphylia from its neighboring regions, the four rivers of the region overcome this barrier and serve as a bridge that provides communication between the North and South. The topographical diversity of Pamphylia, shaped the character of the region and attracted different peoples and enabled them to live together. Thus, a harmonious and multi-layered Pamphylian culture was formed.The name “Pamphylia” can be translated as “the land of all peoples (tribes).” The name of the ancient region does not refer to ethnicity,but rather to an inclusive territory in which many different peoples and cultures coexisted. According to latest studies, Pamphylia was neither the home of a purely Ancient Greek culture nor of a purely Ancient Anatolian culture; on the contrary, its unique culture lives up to its name. As in other parts of Asia Minor, the borders of Pamphylia have changed and were redefined over time due to political, economic and social developments. For this reason, ancient sources provide different accounts of the geographical boundaries of the region. The articles in the book focus on the history and archaeology of the cities and rural settlements on the plain that forms the core of the region, on the coast of the sea from which the plain extends, and in the mountainous area rising above the plain.
