Alanya Ataturk Statue

As in all other Turkish towns, the main street in Alanya is named after the country’s first president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. At the big roundabout in the main street, not far from the post office, you will find the Atatürk statue.
Beside Atatürk are two small children – a symbol of Turkey's future. Beneath the statue is written Peace in the country, peace in the world.
Because of its strategic location, the statue has become a popular meeting point. It also provides a great photographic opportunity for you to be pictured beside Atatürk, Father of the Turks.
Following the renovation of the harbour and parking area in front of The Red Tower, another, much smaller, statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was erected.

Keykubat Statue turkey

The Statue of Sultan Keykubat stands at the western approaches of Alanya and is one of the first sights greeting the buses arriving from the airport. The Seljuk Sultan ruled Alanya in the 13th century. The statue shows Alaaddin Keykubat astride his horse ordering the Seljuk troops to attack.
Alaaddin Keykubat is mainly known for the construction of The Red Tower and the completion of Alanya Castle.

The Red Tower Alanya Turkey

After battling for five years, Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat finally conquered Alanya and had The Red Tower built primarily to defend the town`s shipyard. The Red Tower is one the town`s main attractions and landmarks. It was illustrated on the old Turkish bank notes with a value of 250,000 trl.
The octagonal (eight sided) tower was finished in 1226 and is 33 metres high with five floors. The lowest floor these days often houses exhibitions, for example historical collections of fabrics, work tools, weapons or other items from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.
Characteristic of the Red Tower are the oblong embrasures, which can be seen on all sides of the tower. Soldiers in the tower could defend themselves without being hit and, if attackers approached too closely, boiling water or other unpleasant substances could be poured out through the small openings.

Alanya Shipyard Turkey

The shipyard, consisting of five docks and constructed in 1226 by the Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat, is 56 metres long and 44 metres deep. The entrance to the shipyard is behind the Red Tower. The shipyard also contains offices and a little mosque located on the left of the entrance.
At night all these buildings are illuminated creating a fantastic sight.
The shipyard can be visited at closer quarters by renting a small fishing boat. A trip around the rocky peninsula, where you can see the shipyard, the lovers cave, the pirates cave and the phosphorous cave, costs approximately 10 euros.

Alanya Castle Turkey

High above the rest of the city is the old castle. It is located approximately 250 metres above sea level and so the views from there are breathtaking.

It is difficult to confirm the exact foundation date of the castle but contributions from the Romans, Byzantines and Seljuks are there to be seen. However the biggest influence on the size and shape of the castle can be ascribed to the Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat.

A 6km town wall with 140 watch towers winds around the castle. It made it almost impossible for would-be attackers to go undiscovered. On the way up the winding and sometimes very steep road you will find small cafes and cosy restaurants.

Near the sultan palace you can visit a church/mosque which is a very important relic of the Christian and Islamic heritage of the town.

You can also visit the area of the castle where many prisoners from the castle’s dungeons met their fate. When the dungeons became overcrowded, the prisoners who had been there the longest were packed together on a little platform at the edge of the castle. One by one the prisoners pushed each other over the edge until only one was left. He then got three shots at throwing a stone over the edge and into the sea. If he failed he too was pushed over the edge with certain death as a result!

The road to the castle is very narrow and busy and therefore care should be taken when walking.

Damlatas Cave (turkey alanya)

During blasting work for the construction of Alanya Harbour in 1948, engineers found the Damlatas cave. Today the cave is one of the town's most popular attractions. The cave has a constant temperature of 22-23 degrees Celsius and humidity level of more than 90 %. There are also stalagmites and stalactites which are several thousand years old. The climate in the cave is said to be therapeutic for those with respiratory problems, especially asthma sufferers. Doctors can prescribe visits to the cave and time is reserved every morning for their patients