The town of Alanya

Situated further east on the Turkish tourist coast, Alanya is the last of the large seaside resorts. Thanks to its fine sandy beaches, the town has grown strongly in recent years through mass tourism, and the modern centre is entirely turned towards this activity. Despite this, the town has preserved on its headland a fine group of traditional houses, dominated by magnificent 13th-century Seljuk fortifications.

Alanya deserves a day for exploring the old town. Complete the visit with a trip by sea, in a fishing boat, and enjoy the superb views of the headland and the fortifications.

Practical information:

The town of Alanya lies 130 km east of Antalya, on the coast, and marks the end of what is called the Turkish Riviera. The town has about 100,000 inhabitants and includes many tourist complexes round about.

Reaching Alanya:

From Antalya: frequent bus services link Alanya with Antalya in 2 hours 30 minutes.

From Alanya-Gazipaşa airport: Alanya airport lies 45 km south-east of the town, at Gazipaşa. You can then reach the town by bus or taxi.

By car: there is no particular difficulty in reaching Alanya from the Turkish Riviera; the road network is good, especially the D400, which follows the coast.

Parking in Alanya:
There are several options for parking in Alanya, depending on the area you wish to visit. It will probably be more practical to return to the car during your visit to the town. You can, for example, start by parking beside the Red Tower (GPS: N36.536738, E31.998534) in a small paid car park, which will allow you to visit the area of the old harbour. Then take the car again to drive up to the fortress.

History of Alanya:

Evidence of human occupation in the Alanya area goes back 20,000 years, to the Palaeolithic. The first written mention of a settlement at Alanya dates, for its part, from the 4th century BC. The region was taken by Alexander the Great and fell to the Ptolemaic dynasty when Alexander's empire was divided. The town, then known as Coracesium, became a pirates' lair until its conquest by Rome in 67 BC. It was then incorporated into the Roman province of Pamphylia.

In the Christian period, the town became an important bishopric and formed part of the Byzantine Empire.

From the 7th century, the town was subjected to raids by the Arabs, who brought Islam. The town then acquired new fortifications, and the region saw a struggle between the Byzantines and the Seljuk Turks, who took the town for good in 1221. The town then enjoyed its golden age and became the winter capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. The fortress of Alanya, the arsenal and the Red Tower are among the monuments of this period that have come down to us. The town was then an important Mediterranean trading port.

The 14th and 15th centuries were troubled, as the town suffered attacks from the various regional powers. The town was finally incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1471, but it lost importance as trade in the Mediterranean declined in favour of the New World.

The small town developed strongly from the 1980s onwards, with the growth of tourism along the coast.

Worth a visit

We suggest starting the visit at the harbour beside the Red Tower. There you will find fishing boats moored, as well as vessels used for tourist trips!

Several trips out to sea are on offer. They can last from 4 to 6 hours and include several stops and swimming breaks, mainly aboard these famous pirate boats.

If you are only passing through, we recommend that you opt for shorter trips, a little over an hour, in a fishing boat. A small house on the harbour receives and organises the requests. This boat trip is a particularly pleasant moment, which will let you go round the headland and enjoy the various viewpoints, all of great beauty.

You will pass, among other things, the Arsenal and various caves, and you can admire the spectacular views of the cliffs crowned by the ramparts. Byzantine remains, including a monastery and a mint, are also visible. The return brings you to the fine sandy beach known as Cleopatra's Beach. Legend indeed has it that Cleopatra and her lover Mark Antony, one of Caesar's successors at the head of Rome, used to come and bathe on this very spot.

Close to this beach, the Damlataş cave (admission charged) is regarded as having curative properties in cases of asthma. It is open to visitors so that the many stalagmites and stalactites which adorn it can be admired.

Back at the harbour, you can admire one of the monuments that symbolise Alanya, the Kızıl Kule (the Red Tower). This powerful tower, built in 1226, defended the harbour and the arsenal. Octagonal in form, with a diameter of 29 metres and a height of 33 metres, it is built of red brick and incorporates many ancient elements in its walls. A cistern allowed the defenders to withstand a siege.

This is a remarkable example of a defensive structure from the Seljuk period of the 13th century. The interior of the tower can be visited (admission charged, combined ticket with the arsenal), which will allow you to discover the small ethnographic museum and, above all, to climb to the top of the tower and enjoy a superb view over the town and the sea.

Continue the visit towards the arsenal (admission charged, combined ticket with the Kızıl Kule) by following the path between the ramparts and the sea. Built immediately after the Red Tower in 1227, the shipyard presents a façade 57 metres wide, a depth of 44 metres and 5 naves that served as dry docks for building and repairing boats right up to the 1960s! It is the only arsenal of the Seljuk period that has come down to us. It now houses a small naval museum.

You can then reach the old town, situated behind the ramparts. We recommend taking a taxi or the bus to bring you to the upper fortress or the Ehmedek quarter, and walking back according to your fitness and the heat. There you can discover a few Ottoman houses lost in the vegetation. The Ehmedek quarter is the most interesting one. Built in the Seljuk period, it has fine residences as well as the 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque. The quarter also shelters Ehmedek fort. It forms part of the castle (admission charged) built in the 13th century in continuation of the Red Tower and the Arsenal. The view takes in the whole of the town.

Continue the climb (preferably by taxi or bus) to reach the upper fortress (admission charged), also built in the 13th century on a base made up of earlier Hellenistic fortifications. Situated 250 metres above the sea, it completes the defences of the town, which comprise 6.5 km of ramparts, 140 towers and 400 cisterns. It was the residence of the town's governor. A few ruined buildings, including cisterns and an 11th-century Byzantine church, are still visible there.

The superb view over the area is even finer at sunset.