Who can carry a car to Turkey

Foreigners who have lived abroad (outside the territory of Turkey) for 6 months (185 days) of the last year have the right to bring vehicles with foreign numbers to Turkey.

Required documents

• Vehicle registration certificate.
• Driver’s license issued by an authorized body in your country.
• Insurance policy.
• If the owner of the vehicle is a person of retirement age, you must provide a pension certificate certified by a notary and translated into the local language.

Who can drive the vehicle

Article 43 of the Cabinet Decree of September 29, 2009 on the application of certain articles of customs legislation 4458 states “Goods imported into Turkey temporarily cannot be rented, borrowed or sold.” In other words, in principle, no one can drive a vehicle, except for the person who brought the vehicle to Turkey.
However, both Articles 16 and 15 of the Cabinet Ordinance read:

The spouse / spouse, child or parent of the owner of the car can drive a car that was temporarily imported into Turkey under a residence permit.
The spouse, child or parent of the owner of the vehicle can drive if the vehicle was imported by the owner who came to Turkey with a work permit.
People have the right to drive vehicles in an emergency, provided that the owner is in the vehicle.

Do not forget, if you are going to temporarily go abroad and leave the car in Turkey, leaving Turkey, you must leave the vehicle under the supervision of the customs authorities.

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!

There is no sufficient information about the area’s ancient times and Byzantium era. According to famous historian Heredot’s scripts, people migrated here after the Trojan War on about the year 1820 BC and the city hosted various tribes. In the 16th century’s first half (BC), Hittites reached the land of Alanya and killed approximately 600 people. Then they ruled over the cities, Pamphylia and Cilicia. Between 224 and 118 BC, even though the whole Cilicia was invaded by Great Antiocus, the city maintained its independency as conquering of the city was too hard.

Later on the 7. century AD, the city was even more important than ever that castles had been built as a protection against Arabian raids. That’s why there are many castles and churches around Alanya, which date back to 6. and 7. centuries AD. The oldest known name of the city is Korakesium. Later on the Byzantium era, its name formed into Kalanoros.

I. Alaaddin Keykubad(1200-1237), one of the Anatolian Seljuk sultans, took over the control of Castle of Alanya by defeating Kyr Vart, a Christian tyran who lived in the castle, in 1221. The sultan married the daughter of Kyr Vart and then built a palace in the city, which he named after himself as Alaiye. Alanya, as well as Konya (the capital of the sultanate), was regarded as a capital and was used as a centre to pass the winter and so, there were many new constructions. The city was living its the most prosperous era under Alaaddin’s authority. Today, there are castles, dockyards and many other buildings that stand still as a heritage from that era.

After the fall of Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate in 1300, the city was ruled by a feudal community, Karamanoðullarý. Their capital was Konya as well. Karamanoðullarý sold Alanya to Egyptian Mameluk Sultanate in 1427 for a price of 5 thousand gold coins.
After all, with the rise of Ottomans, who provided political association, Alanya was conquered in 1471 by Gedik Ahmet Pasha who was a general serving to Fatih Sultan Mehmet.

With the era of Ottoman Empire, Alanya was first regarded as a part of Cyprus in 1571 but later had been sanjak of the province of Konya in 1864. When it later had been a sanjak of Antalya in 1868, Alanya, finally had been a county of Antalya in 1871. Atatürk named the city as Alanya when he visited it in 1935.

Alanya is located on 36°33′ northern latitude and 31.01° eastern meridian. It’s acreage measures 2.085 km². Alanya is located in Mediterranean region within the borders of a province called Antalya. On its east there is Alanya Bay that has the same name. There are Meditarrenean Sea on its south, Gazipasa on its east, Manavgat on its west and Toros Mt. on its north. Toros Mt. lie like a chain on its north with plains and mountains height of whose range from 500-600 m. to 2500-3000. Along the coast there are plains not too high. Climbing down to the plains from mountains is done through plateaus. Plateau begin to fade away as you get closer to the west on which there is Alanya Peninsula. To climb up to mountains from plateaus, it is necessary to pass steep slopes.

Climate and Vegetation Cover

There is a typical Meditarrenean climate over Alanya. It is hot and arid in summer, rainy and humid in winter. As the town is surrounded by high mountains on the west, north and east, winds that come from these directions can not reach Alanya and this makes the town a perfect place to grow a variety of plants that are also grow all around the world.

Other than the fruit growing that is done by the townsfolk, there is a fruit production station. The town is capable of producing 500.000 saplings a year thanks to a 1000 decare land since 1938 which is located among the borders of Aþaðý Oba Village on the towns east. Fruits are distributed all around the country starting from Alanya. Though it is not too much, the station is able to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables producted as well worldwide. Some of these are Japanese plum, pomegranate, coffee, walnut, pineapple, guava, avocado, jujube and decoration plants for gardens. Greenhouse cultivation is a common occupation in and around Alanya. Farmers in Alanya can grow and distribute such fruits and vegetables that they can not survive the harsh cold of winter. Banana is also an important source of income other than early grown fruits and vegetables. Alanya’s bananas are very popular and delicious. Citrus fruits, orange, lemon and grapefruit are well known around the country.

Toros Mt, with their heights exceeding 2 thousand meters, look like a coat sewed with snow. There are 20 rivers flowing from the top of mountains to Mediterranean Sea, carrying the melting snow as water in the fresh time of spring. Therefore, each valley here is a beautiful, pleasurable picnic area on its own with racetracks for rafting! Plateaus on the hills host a great greenfinch. There are ideal areas both for Jeep safari and trekking. Even just beyond the walls of Castle of Alanya can there 16 endemic (a plant unique to the place it grows) plants be found.

History

In a few words:
Mankind settled here almost 20 thousand years ago, living in caves. According to Heredot, the separated communities after the Trojan War inhabited the city, borders of which were from Pamphylia to Cilicia. The city used to host many pirates that even Rome, the world empire of the ancient times, did not have authority on them. In the medieval times, the city was under the rule of Byzantium Empire, but later served to Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate. The sultan loved the city so much that after the reconstruction of the city, he named it with his own name. Alanya has had many names up to now; Coracesium, Kalonoros and Alaiye. Today, with its history that survived against thousands of years, Alanya is nominated as UNESCO’s World Heritage Site.
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Geographical Position, Climate and Vegetation Cover

Alanya is located on the south of Turkey, in Mediterranean region within the borders of a province called Antalya. While it is hot and arid in summer, rainy and humid in winter there, it is always possible to feel the sun heat for approximately 300 days throughout a year. Citrus fruits has an important role in people’s living. Alanya is absolutely unique with its lemon, orange and citrus trees that are spread over the town’s streets.
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Modern Alanya

After tourism sector took its place in Alanya in the 50’s, it has served as a model especially about tourism both in Turkey and the world with its cooperating public and government. With its museums, sport centers, opportunities for culture and art activities Alanya attracts approximately 15 thousand tourists both in winter and summer every year! Alanya has 12 sister cities eleven of which are European and their townsfolks have sincere relationships with each other.
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Nearly active all the time, mass transportation system and taxis are at your service in the town. It is only in Alanya within the borders of Turkey, the bike automatons placed on certain points of Alanya…

Airway

There are 2 choices for those who prefer airway; approximately 120 kilometers away from Alanya, on the west, Antalya Airport and 40 kilometers away, on the east, Gazipaşa Airport. Reaching to where you will stay is included in nearly all of the packet tours. Hotels’ contractual vehicles will take you from the airports entrance to where you will stay. Some airway companies who organize inland flights provide vans to Alanya, depending on flight times.

• http://www.aytport.com/
• http://www.gzpairport.com/

Those who prefer reaching their accomodations by their own ways can either use private taxis or go to ring road to get on Alanya buses which sets out from Antalya Bus Terminal every 15 minutes.

Highway

It is possible to go Alanya through the double highway that is on Antalya’s east exit. Therefore, from east, Mersin, Anamur-Alanya highway is to be used for going Alanya easily.

Seaway

Alanya has an harbor in the town center into which huge passenger ships can dock. Moreover, the town has a marina which can serve 287 yacht at the same time. By means of sea transportation, 100 ships and 80 thousand tourists on aveage come to Alanya every year.

Transportation in Alanya

The town is full of pavements that enables people to walk anywhere they want. Other than this, there are minibuses and public buses which go through nearly everywhere around the town. There are quite a lot of taxis around the town as well.
You can use minibuses or taxis conveniently to go important visiting points or castles.
If you have driving license, you can rent a car or motorcycle from “Rent-a-Car” shops.

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.