Alanya Castle, whose ramparts are about 6.5 kilometers long, is on the peninsula 250 meter high above the sea. The settlement on Alanya peninsula, which is also known as “Kandeleri”, not only dates back to hellenistic era but also reflects the 13. century as a Seljukian site. The castle was built by Seljukian Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat, who reconstructed Alanya when he conquered it in 1221. The castle has 83 towers and 140 bastions. There are nearly 400 cisterns made for fulfilling the water need of town which was inside the castle in medieval ages. Some of these cisterns are still in use.

Kızılkule

This is an octagonal building inherited from Seljukians of 13. century as well as the symbol of Alanya. It is named as Kızılkule due to its upper parts’ being made of fired red bricks because of the difficulty of lifting stone blocks to higher parts. The tower, which was set against raids coming from the sea to protect the port and navy yard, has been used for military purposes for centuries.

Navy Yard

The navy yard, having five arched rooms, was constructed in such a way that it receives sunlight almost all the time sun is up. Alanya navy yard is the first yard in of Seljukians the Mediterranean region. There is a praying room on one side, and a guardsman room on the other side of the navy yard. Therefore, there is a well inside of one of the rooms, which has dried up in time.

Armory

There is an armory located on a rock 10 meters high above the sea, next to the navy yard to protect it. It is also known that is this armory, which was built in 1227 and made of dimension stones and has a rectangular infrastructure, cannons had been produced for battleships.

Ehmedek

It was rebuilt as a midpoint castle in Seljukian era in the place of little castle which was located on the north the main castle and inherited from Byzantium Empire. The structure is in such a location that has strategical advantage against land attacks and able to protect the keep, in which the sultan’s palace was placed.

Süleymaniye Mosque

It was at first built by Seljukian Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat in 1231, however, when it fell down, it was rebuilt by Kanuni Sultan Süleyman (The Magnificient) in the 16th century, during the Ottoman era. In order to provide acoustic to the mosque, 15 little cubes were placed to the dome, which was working as a hanger. This feature stands out during prayers.

Bedesten

It is in the castle, near Süleymaniye Mosque. It is thought to have been built as a bazaar or inn in the time of Karamanoğulları Seigniory, in 14th or 15th century. The historical building is used as a hotel, restaurant and cafeteria today.

Royal Mints

They are the structures that are located on Cilvarda Cape, which is composed of steep rocks 400 meters long, on the tip of the peninsula. Although it is called as a royal mint in public, in these with dimension stone made buildings are there not money being printed. One of the stony structures is a little church built in the 11th century. The others were most likely to have been used as monasteries.

Akşabe Sultan Small Mosque

It is in the castle, on the west of Bedesten, nearly 100 meters ahead of Süleymaniye Mosque. It was built by Akşabe Sultan, who was the first commander of Alaaddin Keykubat in Alanya Castle, in 1230. It has a square infrastructure and 2 rooms. One of the rooms is a prayer room and the other one is the tomb of Akşabe Sultan. There are 3 other tombs as well.

Andızlı Mosque

The mosque, which owes its name to the trees right beside it “arceutos drupacea”, reflects the architectural features of Seljukian era. The pulpit of it is one of the most beautiful sample of Seljukian wood engraving art.

Sitti Zeynep Sepulchre

It is located on a huge rock on a road leading to the castle. It is thought to have been built either in Seljukian or Ottoman era. The one buried under the sepulchre assumed as a saint. There are three, each of which is 2 meters long, sarcophaguses carved into the rock in which there is the sepulchre.

Hıdırellez Church

The church built on a slope viewing the Mediterranean, which is thought to have been built in the early 19th century, is used for worshipping by Christians and Muslims today.

Şarapsa Inn

It was built by Seljukian Sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev during the years between 1236-1246 on the Silk Road as a caravanserai. It is used as a entertainment center today, while it was an important accomodation center during medieval times.

Alara Castle

The function of this castle which is located on the Silk Road is providing security to caravans which used to take a break at an inn near Alara Brook. It looks magnificent. There are tunnels inside of the castle made with the way of stone carving. There are a little palace, castle employees rooms, a mosque and a bath house among the remains.

Alara Inn

It was built as a caravanserai on a plain 800 meters away from Alara Castle. The inn, which was built in 1231, was renovated a couple of years ago and today, it is used as a restaurant and shopping center.

Kargı Inn

It is on the west of Alanya, the north of Kargı Brook. It is thought to have been used as a caravanserai. There are vent holes on the ceilings of all of the rooms and these rooms are built around the middle loggia. Across the door of the inn, there are fixated cribs.

Historical Places

Alanya is a heaven for those who adores historical sites with its still-standing after 700-years old castle as tough as iron, octagonal Kizilkule (Scarlet Tower), inns and royal mints. With their utmost magnificence, both churches that were built in Christian era before Seljukian era and mosques of Muslim period await visitors
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Ancient Cities

Alanya, having hosted countless civilizations throughout history, is very rich in ancient remains. It is free to visit some ancient sites around which archeological excavations are still being carried out and areas protected owing to their being ruins.
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Museums

There are 4 museums in Alanya. They are open everyday except for lunch breaks and require entry fee. The most important monument demonstrated in Alanya is the statue of Hercules, displayed on Archaeology Museum.

Beaches

Alanya’s beaches, consisted of wide sandbanks, carry blue flag, which is the symbol of cleanliness under international standards. If the weather is calm at these unique coasts of Mediterranean, which morphs into turquois blue, the fish swimming deep under the sea can be seen with the naked eye. You can swim in the sea near a hillside full of trees or near ancient remains.

Caves

Alanya is relatively rich, considering caves. You can either discover the mysterious world of caves on land or under the sea or track the traces of our ancestors who lived 20 thousand years ago.

Toros Mountains and Plateaus

Alanya is on the coast of the Mediterranean region, however, on the town’s back lie there Toros Mountains. Toros mountains are an inseparable part of life in Alanya. Going up to plateaus and spending summers there are a part of the ten centuries old culture of Yörük Turkmen. Until the last century, people used to leave their villages in summer and go up to plateaus. Some would put up tents that were made of goat hair on plains whose heights exceeded 1000 meters while some other depasture their flocks to produce cheese and butter or weave carpets or rugs.

Today, tents are replaced with modern houses. Toros mountains hide unique beauties of nature with their forests full of pine and cedar trees, deep canyons, peaks piercing the sky and rivers coming down from peaks, bursting. Plateaus are meccas for local or foreigner tourists. Old Turkmen traditions still remain at picnic areas which are for excursions.

Rivers

Alanya is close to some waterways, ranging from larges to smalls. The most important ones are, with its interesting appereance, Dim Brook, with its cool umbras, Oba Brook and with its tracks suitable for rafting, Alara River.

Sapadere Canyon

Sapadere Canyon, 40 kilometres away to town center, is literally a wonder of nature. Do not leave without swimming in the water where the waterfall which is at the entrance of the canyon falls and tasting the salmon which is fed in freezing waters!

With the arrival of German tourists in the 60’s, Alanya hosted its first tourists. In the following years, firstly there showed up b&bs, then did motels and hotels. Doing agriculture and tourism successfully at the same time, Alanya, with the public’s sincere and friendly relationships, is held up as an example by all the touristic vicinities of Turkey.

Alanya Municipality, cooperating with civil society organizations such as Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Alanya(ALTSO), Tourism Introduction Foundation of Alanya(ALTAV), Touristic Managerships Institution of Alanya(ALTİD), Environmental Peace and Cooperating Cultural Association of Alanya(ALKOD) and with chambers of merchants, is brightening the future of the town.

Alanya Municipality has also drawn attention with the sister cities it has on Europe. By reciprocal acts of parliments, Germany’s Gladbeck, Austria’s Schwechat, Poland’s Wodzislaw, Lithuania’s Trakai, Latvia’s Talsi, Sweden’s Boras, China’s Fushun, Hungary’s Keszthely, Greece’s Nea Ionia, Finland’s Rovaniemi, Czech Republic’s Spindleruv Mlyn and Russia’s Moscow cities are regarded as sister cities.