One of the symbols of Alanya – the Alanya castle over the rocky peninsula in the middle of the city. The fortress that you can see today is a remain of 13th century Seljuk fortress built after the conquest of Alanya in 1220 by Alaeddin Keykubat I.
However, the very first fortifications were probably built by pirates occupying the peninsula in the 3rd century BC and later replaced and improved into Byzantine and Roman fortifications over the centuries. The latest Seljuk Alanya castle is app. 250m above sea level and its walls are 6,5km in length. There used to be 140 towers along the walls and around 400 cisterns in the castle.
The fortifications formed three separate divisions – one for the sultan and his family, one for the army, and one for the ordinary people. During the Ottoman period, the Alanya castle was used only for defensive purposes and there were many private villas built within the fortress in the 19th century.
The castle serves today as an open-air museum. The entrance to the museum is at the very top of the castle and except for the fortifications and ruins, there are great views from the castle as well. Approximately 15 minutes by walk following the signs “Ehmedek” you will arrive at another part of the castle with great views over both – Cleopatra Beach on the western side and the old harbor on the eastern side of the castle. A big part is opened to the public so you can easily walk the Alanya castle’s fortifications and lovely historical streets without any charge.
It is possible to get on teleferic and discover the castle area. For more information about teleferic go to: http://www.visitalanya.com/teleferic-ready-use-alanya/
Practical Info:
- The Alanya castle is open every day from 9:00 – 19:00 o’clock but it is possible to enter the castle latest at 18:30.
- There are nice local restaurants, souvenir shops, craftsmen places on the castle streets
- There is a buffet and toilet at the castle
- It is possible for wheelchairs to tour the upper castle
- Take your camera and take nice panoramic pictures of Alanya.
Images of Alanya Castle Photos by Michael Holthuysen. He is a blogger. You may follow his trip at https://www.facebook.com/TravelWithMichael/
