Alanya City Guide

Alanya City Guide

Alanya with its thousands of years of history, culture formed by a blend of the Mediterranean and Anatolian cultures, its architecture, and natural beauties has begun to draw attention in tourism after the 1960s. In later years, throughout its journey that started with a few tourist facilities on the eastern and western shores of the district, it has become one of the leading holiday resorts of not only Antalya but also Turkey. The length of the city's coastline exceeds 100 kilometers. The cool plateaus of the Taurus Mountains attract attention, as much as the beaches.

Tourist Attractions

Entertainment

The wide beaches of the district of Alanya have the Blue Flag certification. Blue Flag is the certificate of international standards set and audited for the hygiene of sea waters utilized for swimming and beaches. At these beaches, the color of the seawater turns from blue into turquoise. When the weather is calm, the fish at the bottom is visible even to the naked eye.
The western and eastern shores of Alanya's district center, with respect to the historical peninsula, are covered with beaches. There are Damlataş and Kleopatra beaches on the west and Keykubat and Portakal beaches on the east. Outside of the city, on the other hand, there are ones such as Ulaş, Konaklı, Fuğla, İncekum, and Mahmutlar.

You can explore the mysterious world of terrestrial and sea caves in Alanya. Damlataş, Dim, Korsanlar, Aşıklar, and Fosforlu Caves are among places you should visit in this respect. While traveling in the magical world of stalactites and stalagmites that have been formed in tens of thousands of years in terrestrial caves which came into existence millions of years ago; you can witness the forming of new ones as well. This witnessing takes on a quite impressive appearance with the scenery created by the lighting in the cave.

Alanya is a district on the shore of the Mediterranean, yet one with its back on the Western Taurus Mountains. The Taurus Mountains are regarded as an essential part of life in Alanya. Going up to the plateaus in summer months and spending the summer there used to be the most important activity of the thousand-year-old Yörük Turkmen culture. Nowadays, modern housing has taken the place of tents. The Tauruses with their forests full of pine and cedar trees, deep valleys, peaks that go into the clouds and rivers that come down overflowing from the peaks ; harbor the unique beauties of nature. Plateaus are popular spots for domestic and foreign tourists as well; old Turkmen traditions still exist at daily picnic areas.

Alanya In One Day

If you need to visit Alanya in one day, your task is quite difficult. For the sake of not getting lost in the numerous beauties to see, you may start your trip with the historical region. You should definitely see the Castle, Red Tower, and museums. Surely, do not leave out enjoying the sea at the beaches and consuming the freshest seafood.

City Tours And Transportation

Inner-city transportation is available with municipality public buses and taxis. You can use the buses from and to the bus stops. All taxis are colored yellow and marked with a “taxi” sign. Inner-city public buses pass once in approximately 15 minutes. There is a route which starts from the east of Alanya and continues on the coastal road until the Dinek-Ulaş locality to the west. Another bus route heads to the intercity bus station on the west from the intersection on the east.

Nearby Locations

Colybrassus is an ancient city dating from the Roman Era on the Tauruses and approximately 30 km northwest of Alanya. A great number of inscriptions that are scattered in the surroundings contain important information. However, the history of this city has not been entirely brought to light.
The ancient city of Nephelis is located on a high hill that lies towards the sea 55 km east of Alanya. At the highest point of the hill, there are the acropolis of the ancient city and castle walls from the Middle Ages. This is a typical mountainous Cilicia city with an odeon, water system, limestone quarry, and necropolis area.

Syedra, Leartes, Adanda-Lamus, Antiocheia Ad Cragum, Selinus, and Iotape are other ancient settlements nearby.

Culture & Entertainment

Places To Visit

Alanya is like a paradise for those who like historical places with its castle, which stands strong even after 700 years, octagonal Kızıl Kule (Red Tower), khans, and mint. Churches that date back to pre-Seljuk times on one side and historical mosques from the Islamic era on the other, welcome visitors with all their glory.

Alanya Castle, the length of the ramparts of which reaches 6.5 kilometers, is located on a peninsula that is approximately 250 meters above sea level. First settlement on the peninsula, also known as Kandeleri, dates as far back as the Hellenistic period. The structure that can be seen today is a 13th century Seljuk work. It was commissioned to be built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat (Kayqubad I) in 1221. The castle has 83 towers and 140 bastions.Kızıl Kule (Red Tower) is another one of Alanya's symbols and it is also a 13th century Seljuk work. During the construction of the octagonal structure; it became difficult to lift blocks of stone after a certain altitude, so red burnt bricks were used in building the upper part. Because of those bricks, it was named Red Tower. The tower, which was built to protect the harbour and shipyard from attacks coming from the sea, was used for military purposes for centuries.

Alanya Shipyard is the first shipyard of the Seljuks in the Mediterranean. The shipyard, made up of five docks with an arch, was designed and constructed in a way to maximize the use of daylight. There is a masjid on one side of the shipyard and a guard room on the other.Bedesten (Covered Bazaar) in the castle is located near Süleymaniye Mosque. It is believed to have been built as a market or khan during the time of the Karamanids in the 14th or 15th centuries. The historical building is used as a hotel, restaurant, and cafe today. Süleymaniye Mosque was first commissioned to be built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat in 1231. After it was destroyed, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent had it rebuilt in the 16th century during the Ottoman era. 

Food & Drink

One of the influences that determine the food culture of Alanya is the Mediterranean Cuisine, while the other is the typical dietary habits of the Yörüks. As foods obtained from stockbreeding and wheat were often consumed by the Yörüks, such foods easily found a place for themselves in the district's cuisine as well.

Alanya is a place where you can enjoy certainly the freshest of fruits, vegetables, meat and especially fish. In any given alley, you may come across a restaurant that serves dishes from various parts of the world. On restaurant menus, you may find almost all European languages. Alanya is very assertive especially in terms of appetizers and side dishes made with olive oil.

Shopping

Shopping opportunities in Alanya are quite widespread and diverse. As busy shopping areas of the city; Cuma Pazarı (Friday Market) region, pier region, and Atatürk Street which crosses the district from end to end can be listed. At markets where you can find good quality products for reasonable prices, it is sometimes possible to bargain on the price of some products and pull the price to levels that you can afford.

You can find quite various stores in one place within walking distance in the district center. Jewelleries, boutiques, shoe and bag stores, leather stores that offer countless color and model options, souvenir shops, and carpet shops are places that you can come across anytime in the district center.