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General Information. Though first fortified in the Hellenistic period following the..
Though first fortified in the Hellenistic period following the area's conquest by Alexander the Great, the castle rock was likely inhabited long before that under the Hittite and Persian Empires. Known in Latin as Coracesium or in Greek as Korakesion from the Luwian Korakassa meaning "point/protruding city," it was a popular spot for Mediterranean piracy [3]. This period ended with the city's incorporation into the Roman Empire by Pompey in 65 BC. After the Empire's collapse and split, the city remained under Byzantine influence, becoming known as "Kolonoros," or beautiful mountain. The area fell from their sphere of influence after the Battle of Manzikert to tribes of Seljuk Turks, only to be returned in 1097 by Alexios I Komnenos and forces of the First Crusade. The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia periodically held the port, and it was from an Armenian, Kir Fard, that Muslims took lasting control in 1221 when the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I exchanged governance of the city of Aksehir for it. The the city was renamed Alaiye, a derivative of Ala ad-Din. Seljuk rule saw the golden age of the city, and it can be considered the winter capital of their empire. Building projects, including the twin citadel, city walls, arsenal, and Red Tower made it an important port for western Mediterranean trade, particularly with Ayyubid Egypt and the Italian city-states. Kay Qubadh also constructed numerous gardens and pavilions outside the walls, and many of his works can still be found in the city.
The Mongol invasion broke down Seljuk control, and the city fell to a series of beyliks, and even to Lusignans from Cyprus. The city was sold by the Karamanoglu dynasty in 1427 to the Mamluk dynasty for a period before the general Gedik Ahmed Pasha in 1471 incorporated it into the growing Ottoman Empire. In 1571 the city was organized into the province of Cyprus, then later under Konya, and in 1868 under Antalya, as it is today. Like most in this region, the city suffered heavily following the population exchanges the heralded the Turkish Republic, when many of the city's Christians resettled in Nea Ionia, outside Athens. In his 1935 visit, Atatürk finalized the name in the new alphabet as Alanya, changing the 'i' and 'e' in Alaiye, reportedly because of a misspelled telegram two years prior [4]. Tourism in the region started among Turks who flocked to Alanya in the 1950s for the alleged healing properties of Damlatas cave, and later with the access provided by Antalya's airport gaining the city greater international appeal.
ARCHITECTURE
On the peninsula stands a Seljuk era citadel from 1226. Walls surround the old city, home to many fine villas, leading down to the pride of the city, the K?z?l Kule (Red Tower). Sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I brought the accomplished architect Ebu Ali from Aleppo, Syria to Alanya to complete the building. Completed in 1226 the octagonal tower protects the Tersane (arsenal) which dates from 1221. So well made was it that it remains one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture.
With its rich architectural heritage, Alanya is a member of the Norwich-based European Association of Historic Towns and Regions [5].
Places of Interest
· Alanya Kale (Castle), old city walls, Süleymaniye Mosque and Caravanserai
· K?z?l Kule (Red Tower), a brick building located at the harbor, 33 meters high; with the ethnographic museum inside.
· Tersane (arsenal), the dry dock located adjacent to the Tower
· Damlatas cave, with an average temperature of 22 °C and 96% humidity
· Archaeology museum
GEOGRAPHY On the road of the Meditarian sea coast Alanya is one of the most important settled eitles with it's economic cultivation, fishing, cattle-breeding, hand skills and other functional specialities. The extension of the plateau and mountainous parts of the north side of the Taurus mountain looking from the high plateu zone the highness counted from the sea is abouta 1000 meters. The peninsula of Alanya covers a surrounding of 6500 meters long at the south. The land of the peninsula is apart from the Taurus mountains. Because the Taurus mountains do not give a pass into the north direction by sea it's possible to get inside the Anatolian through the Kocdovat pass, Yel bridge, Bird's nest and the Dim and Alara creeks make it possible to get into the Dim and Alara valley.
.The harbour had to be build in the east of course because of the strong connection of central Anatolian and the uprignt profile of the raising Alanya peninsula along the coast. Because Alanya is entitled to the typical Meditarian climate the summers are warm and dry and the winters luke-warm and rainy. In our region the winters pass most of the time like summer; the influence of the summer warmth gives the reaction that the summer offshore "breeze from the sea to the land at afternoon is being Iowered. The high temperature of the sea warmth and the fact that you can keep on sun bading for a long time makes the attractiqn of Alanya higher. Because of our position in the Meditarian sea area we have the most fertile ground in Alanya witch gives us the existence of black kite and cedar forests in the area of high parts pf the northern mountains and calabrian pine in the area of the coast. With a sea like in incekum you have to get in the inner forest fields. In this forrest where there are Calabrian pines, Black Kites, Cedars, Firtress, Oaktrees, Junipers, Plane trees and Common Alders you will find forrest products Nike Poplars, lime, Chest-nuts and Hazelnuts
The carpets, saddle bags, silken woven tissues, braces of dry flowers, mascots and dolls out of pumpkins, Laces, pinked writings, blouses and dresses made out of a kind of cheese cloth are made as gifts and memories objects in the waving frames owned to the people that live in the castle. Of course the beautiful caves that take place in the north and west side of the peninsula of Alanya, with different kind of rumours, take shape in the beauty of geologic as the pirates, love and phosphore caves. If you go to the north direction of the peninsula from the harbour the first cave you will cross is the pifrates cave. With a sea motor you can get into the 10m. Wide and 6 m. high entrance of the cave that widens up to the north
This cave from what they say that there used to be a secret road to the castle has an interesting view over the colourfull stones inside of the rocks in the sea. About the 75 m. long and with two entrances Love cave they say that they used to hide captured girls and their plundered tools. At the west side of the peninsula in witch you can get bin with a small fishers boat there is the interesting and beautiful phosphore cave witch is very worthly to the geology, At nights the inside shines very bright and also at daytime the phosphore glowing will dazzle your eyes. The Damlatas cave who got it's name from the dropping drops of the stalactite long passage from the entrance is 14 diameters and 15 m. high. It's a cave that ownes stalagmites and stalactites who have been formed for 15.000. Years. When they first took over. The permit of the crystalline chalk cave it had a 95% dampness, 22 degrees warmth witch doesn't change, 760 mm. constant pressure, 20,5% oxygen.
It is very useful for asthmatic pations so this established cave gives especial profit to curing and tourism. Even bigger than the Darnlatas cave and the guesses are that it's 1 million years old we have the Dim cave placed in the town Kestel of Alanya. It lies at the south side of the Dim valley. The highness counted from the sea is 232 meters. There are two parts of this cave. The left part is 360 m. and the right part is 50 meters. It's the second big cave in Turkey to be opened for visitors. At a distance of 4 km. from Alanya in the place garden district there's the Hasbahge cave, about 4 or 5 times as big as the Darnlatas cave. 15 km. from the provincianol council in the north direction there's the Catak ot Kadiini cave in the Catak district, also a beautiful stalagmite and stalactite cave. A road of 60 meters coasts with indigo sea-colours, clean sand covered with small bays and beach/=is. While you're deep in thoughts looking at the sun going down from the Alanya castle the evening brings the night sounds and lights. The relax movement of the moonlight in the harmonious water. Who knows, may be you'll swim at the same beach as Cleopatra and Antonius did ones. Placed 30 km. from the city as the beach of Incekum the forrest and sea come together and the plane trees decorate the slope of hills of the high Taurus. With strong running water and clean mountain air there's a nice place to picnic called Dimgay.
POPULATION The city has a population of 264,240, with 150,346 in the city center, and of which about 45,000 are European. During the summer the populations increases due to large numbers of tourists, about 1.2 million each year pass through the city. Many social classes meet in Alanya. Wealthy Turks and Europeans who vacation or reside part-time here are the revenue source for much of the population. The town is also home to many immigrants from the west, particularly the southwest of Turkey, of Kurdish, Turkish, and Armenian heritages. The town is near 99% Muslim, and although many ancient churches can be found in the city, there are not regular Christian services. In 2006, a German language protestant church with seasonal service opened with much fanfare, a sign of the growing European population in the city. Israeli tourists, often from cruise ships, constitute the Jewish population. The city boasts a 95% literacy, with public, private, and religious based schools available. Akdeniz University [6], the largest higher education in the area, is located between Alanya and Antalya. Georgetown University also operates an annual study abroad program for American students to study in Alanya [7].
ECONOMY Many tourists (especially Scandinavian, German, Russian and the Dutch people) vacation in Alanya during the summer. Tourists are drawn to the area because of reasonable prices, pleasantly warm weather, sandy beaches, access to historic sites, and fine cuisine. Beach activities frequently include wind surfing, parasailing, and banana boating. Nightclubs and bars aimed at tourists are numerous. A height restriction in the city keeps high rise hotels to the east and west of the city, preserving its skyline at the expense of greater tourist potential.
The tourist industry here is worth over 1.2 billion euros, and is therefore the principal industry, though the area is known for its many fruit farms, particularly lemons and oranges, and large harvests of tomatoes, bananas and cucumbers.
GEOGRAPHY On the road of the Meditarian sea coast Alanya is one of the most important settled eitles with it's economic cultivation, fishing, cattle-breeding, hand skills and other functional specialities. The extension of the plateau and mountainous parts of the north side of the Taurus mountain looking from the high plateu zone the highness counted from the sea is abouta 1000 meters. The peninsula of Alanya covers a surrounding of 6500 meters long at the south. The land of the peninsula is apart from the Taurus mountains. Because the Taurus mountains do not give a pass into the north direction by sea it's possible to get inside the Anatolian through the Kocdovat pass, Yel bridge, Bird's nest and the Dim and Alara creeks make it possible to get into the Dim and Alara valley.
POPULATION The city has a population of 264,240, with 150,346 in the city center, and of which about 45,000 are European. During the summer the populations increases due to large numbers of tourists, about 1.2 million each year pass through the city. Many social classes meet in Alanya. Wealthy Turks and Europeans who vacation or reside part-time here are the revenue source for much of the population. The town is also home to many immigrants from the west, particularly the southwest of Turkey, of Kurdish, Turkish, and Armenian heritages. The town is near 99% Muslim, and although many ancient churches can be found in the city, there are not regular Christian services. In 2006, a German language protestant church with seasonal service opened with much fanfare, a sign of the growing European population in the city. Israeli tourists, often from cruise ships, constitute the Jewish population. The city boasts a 95% literacy, with public, private, and religious based schools available. Akdeniz University [6], the largest higher education in the area, is located between Alanya and Antalya. Georgetown University also operates an annual study abroad program for American students to study in Alanya [7].
ECONOMY Many tourists (especially Scandinavian, German, Russian and the Dutch people) vacation in Alanya during the summer. Tourists are drawn to the area because of reasonable prices, pleasantly warm weather, sandy beaches, access to historic sites, and fine cuisine. Beach activities frequently include wind surfing, parasailing, and banana boating. Nightclubs and bars aimed at tourists are numerous. A height restriction in the city keeps high rise hotels to the east and west of the city, preserving its skyline at the expense of greater tourist potential.