Alanya is located on a small peninsula surrounded by the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. There is no precise information on when the first inhabitants settled in what is now Alanya, but explorations carried out near Alanya in 1957 found evidence that Alanya’s history may date back to the Palaeolithic period (20,000-17,000 BC). Today we have no tangible information about the early times and the history of the city of Alanya in the Byzantine period. It is known that in the 7th century AD, the city was forced to defend itself against constant Arab attacks, and for this reason great attention was paid to strengthening the castle. As a result, castles, churches and ancient towns in the Alanya region date back to the 6th – 7th centuries AD.

In 1221, the Seljuk Sultan Aladdin Keykubat I became ruler of Alanya, succeeding Warta Cyrus, who was a Christian. The Sultan built himself a palace and Alanya was used as a winter residence and became the second most important place after Konia. In 1243, Alanya was invaded by the Mughals and in 1277 by the Mamluks of Egypt, who severely undermined the power of the Sultan of Sanjaya. The Seljuk state collapsed in 1300. The region was sold to one of the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt for 5000 gold pieces. In 1471, under Sultan Fatih Mehmet, the city became part of the Ottoman Empire.

In 1571, Alanya, together with Tarsus, was annexed to Cyprus and became the province of Konya in 1864. In 1868, Alanya was annexed to the Antalya Region and officially became a town of the Antalya Region in 1871.

City Names :

There is also no precise information on who founded what is now Alanya. The oldest known name of this city is Korakesium. Later, during the Byzantine period, the name was changed to Kolonoros. In the 13th century, the Seljuk Sultan Aladdin Keykubat I (1200 – 1237) became the ruler of this city and named it Alaia. Atatürk, who founded the Turkish Republic and became its first President, named the town Alanya during his official visit in 1935.

The first mention of Korakesium in written sources was by the ancient geographer Skilak in the 4th century BC. At that time, an important part of Anatolia was in Persian hands. Later, the city was visited by famous geographers and travellers such as Strabo, Piri Reis, Seyep, Ibn Battuta, Evliya Çelebi and is described vividly in their books.

The Growth of Alanya

Surrounded by 6 km of walls and set on a 10 hectare peninsula, Alanya was part of the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine Seljuk and Ottoman empires.

In 65 BC, the dominance of the pirates on this coast came to an end with the Corakesium War, which was won by Pompey. During the Roman Empire, new buildings were constructed and walls were extended. Coins bearing the names of emperors were minted. Examples can be found in the Alanya Archaeological Museum.

During the Byzantine period, the Alanya Castle belonged to the city of Kalonora (known as the Beautiful Hill) and became a haven for sailors and one of the most popular and busiest harbours in the Mediterranean.

The castle, the ruins of the monastery and the walls from the middle fortress to the castle in the Old Town are from the Byzantine period. After 1221, Aladdin Keycubatus I built the walls of the Alanya Old Town as seen today, as well as the large water cisterns, the shipyard, the Red Tower and the cannon storage area. Also designed in this period were the small Aqsebe Mosque, the Andizli Mosque, the Lower Castle and the Turkish bath.

During the Seljuk reign, Alanya could justifiably boast one of the strongest defensive castles on the coast, as well as strong defensive positions both at sea and on land. It was a city with a significant status in the development of local, external and transit trade links.

In the first half of the 14th century, Alanya was one of the strongest cities in Anatolia and the Mediterranean, with its naval base, leading trade and shipbuilding, and strong links with Egypt and Syria. The city traded with Egypt, Genoa, Venice and Florence. Egyptian and Syrian merchants travelled to Black Sea ports via Alanya. Later, when Alanya passed into the hands of the Ottoman Empire, the Suleiman Mosque, the covered market, the upper castle and the traditional Alanian houses were built.

A number of travellers and traders have mentioned Alanya Castle: in 1332, Ibn-I Batuta exported timber to Alexandria; in 1650, Katıp Çeleb, who cultivated cotton, silk and sesame, compared Alanya Castle to Baghdad Castle; in 1671, he compared it to Baghdad Castle. Evliya Çelebi described the houses he had seen, the mosques, the water cisterns, the schools, of which there were six, the Turkish bath, the fountain and the 150 shops in the Lower Castle (Asagi Kale), all the streets accessible by mule and donkey.

Red Tower :

The Red Tower was built under the orders of Aladdin Keycubatus I and has a medieval defensive structure. The purpose of the Red Tower is to protect the harbour, the shipyard and Alanya Castle from attacks from the sea. The Red Tower has always attracted attention for its structure and monumental appearance.

The octagonal building, which looks one way from the outside, had a specific purpose. The tower was built with every detail in mind to fully fulfil its defensive function. The five-storey building, which ends with an open terrace, has a completely simple entrance with a narrow corridor. An octagonal pillar in the centre, with a cistern for collecting water inside, is surrounded by a vaulted corridor. The floors are connected by a high stone staircase. Today, the Red Tower is open to the public and is used as a venue for a variety of exhibitions. The upper open terrace offers a spectacular view of the city of Alanya, the harbour and the old town.

You can walk along the walls surrounding the Old Town to the old shipyard, which is now used as an exhibition space.

Shipyard :

A five-bay relief structure, divided by arches and accessed through a narrow entrance. In front of the entrance, there is a room, a mosque, used by the shipyard officials. A small room on the other side nowadays displays accounts and various historical sources about the work of the shipyard at that time.

It was not just a place where ships stopped or were built. It was also a place where ships were repaired and all the necessary administrative procedures were carried out for arriving ships. The shipyard was located on a site that was flanked on both sides by two defensive towers, so that there was no need to worry about the threat that was constantly present in the surrounding area.

The shipyard neighbourhood is full of traditional Alanya houses. All of these houses are built on a sloping surface and face the sea. As early as 1810, travellers were fascinated by the professionally built houses with water tanks.

Today, some of the houses have been restored and turned into small boutique-style hotels, with a homely atmosphere and narrow, cobbled streets. The Old Town has a number of old houses that are now also used as museums. Every traveller can drop in and discover how traditional families in Alanya once lived, how silk becomes a product and what can be made from the fibres of banana trees.

Alanya is full of uniqueness and rich history. The various historical changes have transformed its appearance and the way people live step by step.