A discovery route intertwined with history...
The Alanya Peninsula, which is difficult to reach by sea and land and is protected like a castle with its natural structure, is one of the rare regions that has been inhabited continuously throughout history. Rising in this unique geography, Alanya Castle stands out as one of the best-preserved castles in Anatolia that has managed to survive to this day. With its walls that are approximately 6.5 kilometers long, it continues to shine like a jewel hung around the neck of the historical peninsula.
Although the historical foundations of the castle date back to the Hellenistic Period, the formation of the monumental structure we see today began with the conquest of Alanya by Seljuk Sultan I. Alaeddin Keykubad in 1221. This port city, known as Kalonoros (Beautiful Mountain) during the Byzantine period, was named "Alaiye" during the Seljuk period. During this period, the castle walls were strengthened, cisterns and many monumental structures were built. The Red Tower, which has become the symbol of Alanya, was built in 1226 to protect the port.
The structure, which draws attention with its octagonal architecture, 33 meters high and reddish stones, currently welcomes its visitors with the Ethnography Museum on its first floor.
The Seljuk Shipyard, located a few steps away from the tower and on the shores of the Mediterranean, is one of the most important examples of maritime history in Anatolia. This shipyard, which earned Sultan Keykubad the title of "Sultan of the Two Seas", once built ships and produced sails and equipment. The structure, which was actively used until the 1960s, today serves as the Ship and Maritime Museum.
The Inner Castle at the top of the castle is like an open-air museum with its structures from the Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods. Churches, mosques, baths, residences, covered bazaars, dungeons and numerous cisterns are located within this historical complex. A different period and a different story are hidden at each point of the walls extending from the summit down.
