General information
Alanya with its wide beaches, historic monuments, modern hotels and motels and numerous fish restaurants, cafes and bars is a perfect holiday getaway. The first thing to catch the eye of visitors, is the Seljuk Castle which was established as a crown atop of the Alanya Peninsula in the 13th century. Besides the impressive castle the monumental beauty of the unique octagonal Red Tower is worth seeing. The cafes and bars surrounding the harbour port are worth visiting in the evening hours and the selling of crafts, leather, clothing, jewelry, handbags and pumpkins decorated with indigenous interesting colors takes place in boutiques on the harbour road. If you like to explore caves the Damlataº Cave is a must-see. The cave is located near the Museum of Ethnography. Three sea caves can be reached by boat: the Cave of Phosphorous with fluorescent rocks, the Girls Cave where female pirates prisoners were kept and the Lovers Cave. At 15 km east from Alanya there is the cool shade of Dim Çayı Valley, an ideal place to relax. The sea can be entered all around Alanya and it is a heaven full of sun, sea and sand.
Climate
The city where the Mediterranean climate is fully established is Alanya. Alanya is considered the warm sea climate category. The summers are hot and dry, the winters are hot and rainy. The temperature during the summer months can vary from 28 ° C to 36 ° C. During the hot hours of the day, ie. 13-14 in the afternoon, the air temperature can go up to + 40 ° C. However, we can say that the temperature that feels intense and humidity is much higher. The average annual relative humidity is about 64%. Sea water temperature is ideal for most people, you can swim and have a holiday for nine months. In winter, the air temperature exceeds zero degrees. The average temperature in January is between 10 ° C and 20 ° C. Snowfall and frost are very rare near the sea. Lots of rain and storm during the winter half year. Every year, heavy rain showers, crops in gardens and fields are damaged. On rainy days it is usually above 10 ° C.
Almost 300 days a year are sunny in Alanya. Most of the precipitation falls in the winter. The annual rainfall in Alanya, broken down by month, and temperatures are shown below.
Red Tower
It's in the harbour. The octagonal shaped building that's the symbol of the city is a work by Selcuks of the 13th century. It was built in 1226 by Ebu Ali Rehç el Kettani, a master builder from Aleppo and had built the citadel of Sinop before on the demand of Alaaddin Keykubat, the Sultan of Selcuks. It was made of red bricks, the upper parts of which had been fired, since stone blocks were difficult to lift at a certain height, thus it was given the name of Kızılkule (Red Tower).
Marble blocks of the antiquity are seen in the walls of the citadel. The height of the tower that is octagonal in shape is 33 meters and it is 29 meters in diameter, its each wall is 12.5 metres long. There are five floors, including the ground floor. You can go to the top of the tower with the help of stone stairs that are high-spaced and have 85 steps. Sunlight coming from the top of the tower even reaches the first floor. There is a cistern in the middle of the tower. The tower was built in order to protect the harbour and the dockyard from naval attacks and was used for military purposes for centuries. Being restored in 1950s, the tower was opened to visitors in 1979, and its first floor began to be used as the museum of Ethnography.
Citadel of Alanya
The Citadel of Alanya, the walls of which are nearly 6.5 kilometres long, is on a peninsula whose height is up to 250 metres from the sea level. Although the settlement on Alanya peninsula, also known as Kandeleri, dates back to the Hellenistic Era, its cultural characteristics that can be seen today are thanks to Selcuks of the 13th century.
The citadel was constructed on the demand of the Sultan of Selcuks, Alaaddin Keykubat, who conquered and had the city rebuilt in 1221. The citadel has 83 towers and 140 bastions. Nearly 400 cisterns were built to supply the city surrounded by walks in the medieval times with water. Some of the cisterns are still used today. The walls were built in a well-planned manner; downwards to Ehmedek, İçkale, Adama Atacağı, the upper part of Cilvarda Bay, Arap Evliyası Burcu and Esat Burcu, then through the gun house and the dockyard and they end up in Kızılkule-İçkale, an open-air museum, is located at the peak of the peninsula. Alaaddin Keykubat, the Sultan, had his palace built there.
Today the citadel is still inhabited by people. In front of wooden and brick houses of historical value, silk and cotton are woven, white gourds are painted in different figures and authentic meals are served in small gardens. There are also restaurants and cafés on the way to the citadel and on its sides overlooking the harbour. The citadel is open to traffic. It takes you nearly an hour to walk to the citadel.
The Dockyard
Its construction started in 1227, six years later than the Sultan's conquest of the city, near Kızılkule and finished in one year. The Side of the dockyard overlooking the sea and having five cells with arches is 56.5 metres long and it is 44 metres in depth. The area selected for the dockyard was planned to have the most sunlight. The statement on the front door of the dockyard has the Sultan Keykubat's armorial bearings and is decorated with badges. The dockyard of Alanya was the first one of Selcuks in the Mediterranean, Alaaddin Keykubat, who had the dockyard of Sinop built before, was given the little of "the Sultan of the two seas" with the opening of the dockyard of Alanya. On one side of the dockyard there is a small mosque, and a guard room on the other. There is a well that has dried up in time in one of the cells. You can go to the dockyard by boats or on foot passing the walls near Kızılkule and can enter the dockyard without any payments.
The Citadel of Alara
The Citadel of Alara was built in 1232, 37 kilometres westward from Alanya on the demand of Alaaddin Keykubat, the Sultan of Selcuks and it is 9 kilometres far from the sea. The aim of the citadel that was on the Silk Road was to protect the crowds stopped at the inn near the Alara creek. It's built on a steep hill of 200 meters up to 500. It looks magnificent. It consists of an inner and outer part. A dark entrance-hall of 120 steps enters the citadel. It is important to be careful about the wild plants and ruins, since it is not organized as a place to be visited. There are tunnels made by carving rock in the citadel. There is a small palace, the rooms of the workers, a mosque and a Turkish bath in the ruins. Those who would like to go to the top of the citadel through the walls and paths have to climb at least one hour and be equipped properly.
Atatürk's House Museum
This museum, a house where Atatürk stayed in February 1935, was opened up to the public in 1986, commemorating Atatğrk's visit to Alanya. The first floor of the museum is an exhibit of Kemal Atatürk's personal belongings, photos, historical documents and a telegram he sent to the people of alanya. The roomson the second floor, on the other hand, serve as a showcase for an old Alanya-style home where examples of local ethnographic items are on
Archeological Museum
The museum has 1 exterior and 14 interior exhibition halls where prehistoric and historic artefacts dating back to the Phrygians, Lydians, Greeks and Byzanthine peirods, are on display. The exhibits include a large coin colection and a Bronze sculpture of Herakles from 200AD, which has become a popular symbol for the museum. Another section of the museum houses ethnographic artefacts from the Sejuk and Ottoman eras, and the replicaof an old Alanya room is well worth a look. The museum garden is dotted with BronzeAge, Phrygian, Lydian and Urartian effecets and Hellenistic pottery items. The garden also boasts a large variety of plant and animal species.
Avsallar
Avsallar is the next place on your way to Alanya and is about 23 km away of Alanya's city centre. It's connected with the Incekum area. Clear water and clean, white, long beaches (provided with the Blue Flag) are the special characteristics of this area. Avsallar has developed to a beautiful, small town with its own city centre in the last years. In Avsallar's shopping mile you will find everything you need like small health centres, pharmacies, shops, bars, cafés and restaurants. It is a charming city with a friendly community, where everybody knows and helps everybody. Every Wednesday you can buy fresh fruits, vegetables, spices and more at the bazar's place near the new built school. Each 10 to 15 minutes you can go by a public bus (dolmus) to Alanya.
Konaklı
As next place we reach the suburb Konakli, a nice place with 28.000 inhabitants, approximately 15 km to Alanya. Konakli has the oldest historical culture of the western suburb area. Most important source of income in Konakli is the tourism. In the last years this place has developed its own small town, where one can find everything. Every Wednesday there's a bazar, where the farmers of the region sell their fresh harvested vegetables. Each 15 to 20 minutes there is a bus to Alanya and back
Bektas / Tepe
The hillside behind the city centre of Alanya is called Tepe and Bektas. This area, which holds a magnificent panoramic view over the city itself, and the Mediterranean Ocean, is a peaceful area where you can escape from the traffic and noise from downtown. The hillside has mostly villas and is a great place for people, who want to be near a citycentre but not too close to the vibrations from it.
Cikcilli
Cikcilli is situated on the east side in the back area of Alanya. It is a fast developing area with lots of apartment buildings. This community is very close to Alanyas city centre. You'll get to the centre in 3 minutes by car. The beach is about 2,5 km away. The area is calmer than Alanya itself. Caused by the location in the mountains area, you have a great view to the two coast lines, the Alanya castle and the city. A place not far away from all tourist activities and a place to calm down.
Oba
The first suburb after the city centre of Alanya is the beautiful place Oba, approximately 3 km away from the centre. This place was named by the river Oba, which locates in the midst of this suburb, where you find shops, restaurants, cafès and since summer 2006 the big Alanyum Shopping Center. The border of Oba reaches down to the beach area, from where you can see the Alanya castle. Oba is one of the most popular suburbs of Alanya because of it's fancy shopping streets, green parks and smooth ambience. Many foreign people found their second home here. There is a bus to Alanya every 5 minutes.
Mahmutlar
After Kestel we reach the suburb Mahmutlar with 23.000 inhabitants the largest suburb of Alanya right now. Mahmutlar is located approximately 13 km east of Alanya and has developed to a delightful spot as one of the fastest areas around Alanya in the last three years. It is a beautiful place with a 4,5 km long beach and its own city centre with a lot of touristic activities. Tourism, fruit and vegetable farming are the most important sources of income in Mahmutlar. Every Tuesday and Saturday there is a bazar, where the farmers offer their goods. In the centre of Mahmutlar you find everything you need for life. If you want to go to Alanya, you can take the public bus, which goes every 10 minutes.
Tosmur
Tosmur area is located 5 km away from Alanya city center. There are bus services to Alanya city center for transportation. Beaches are available within the borders of the region and it is an ideal place to spend the summer holiday. It is located close to the Dimçayı river. Many European tourists continue to live in this neighborhood for all four seasons. It is a busy area with multiple shopping malls, bazaars and marketplaces. In addition, the density of hotels in this region is quite high. Therefore, Tosmur region is an important investment region.
Kestel
The Kestel area is located 7km from Alanya city center, in a seaside location amidst natural and greenery. The silence created by the region surrounded by orange and banana trees offers you a quiet holiday opportunity. There are a supermarket where you can shop, and many cafes and restaurants on the streets where the residences are located. There is a bus line between Alanya city center and Kestel area.
Kargicak
The Kargıcak region is located 15 km from Alanya city center, in a great location with its clean beach, magnificent panoramic sea and city view. It is a preferred area for European tourists to live in. There is a bus line between Alanya city center and Kargıcak region. Gazipaşa airport is 30 km away.
Demirtaş
Demirtaş area is a developing region located 20km away from Alanya city center, away from city noise and density. There are bus services between Alanya and Demirtaş. You can enjoy a quiet holiday in Demirtaş, which has its own private and clean beach.
Climate
Alanya has a relatively moderate continental Mediterranean climate. The Mediterranean Basin ensures that most rain comes during the winter, leaving the summers long, hot, and dry, prompting the Alanya board of Tourism to use the slogan "where the sun smiles".[33] Storm cells sometime bring with them fair weather waterspouts when close to the shore. The presence of the Taurus Mountain in close proximity to the sea causes fog, in turn creating visible rainbows many mornings. The height of the mountains creates an interesting effect as snow can often be seen on them even on hot days in the city below. The sea at Alanya has an average temperature of 70.5°F (21.4°C) annually, with an average August temperature of 82.2°F (27.9°C)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
