Alanya Castle has been inhabited throughout history because it is difficult to reach from sea and land and is naturally sheltered. It is one of the best-preserved medieval castles that has survived today among the hundreds of castles that adorn Anatolia.
The length of the castle walls reaches 6.5 kilometers; The zodiac signs number up to 140; Nearly 400 cisterns inside; It looks like an open-air museum with its magnificent, inscribed and decorated doors. The walls start from Kızılkule, descending in a planned manner to Ehmedek, İçkale, Adam Atacak, above Cilvarda Burnu, Arap Evliyası Bastion and Esat Bastion, passing the armory and shipyard, and ending at Kızılkule, where it started.
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Although the first settlement date of the castle dates back to the Hellenistic periods, it truly took the form of a monumental castle in all its glory during the Seljuk Empire. The height of the part of the castle, called İçkale, which is located at the highest point of the western corner of the peninsula, is 250 meters above sea level. Since it is the center of administrative and military organization, it is surrounded by durable walls from four directions.
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There is a chapel in the area almost in the middle of the İçkale. This building, which belongs to the Seljuk period, has a clover plan. Due to its architectural features, it dates back to the 12th century. During the reign of Alaeddin Keykubad, many monumental structures were built to strengthen the defense of the castle. Kızılkule, one of the unique examples of Seljuk art, is one of them. The 33-meter-high octagonal Red Tower, built of red stone and brick by the sea, is the symbol of Alanya. The shipyard symbolizing the Seljuks’ introduction to the Mediterranean was built in 1227. The arsenal, which is thought to have been built to secure the shipyard, is a two-storey building with a rectangular plan, measuring 12×14 meters.
Settlement in the castle continues today. Alanya Castle, whose historical ruins are integrated with the traditional urban fabric, is recommended as a world heritage and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2000.
Source: “Alanya Castle”, Antalya from Past to Present Volume I, Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism (2012)
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Source: Antalya Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate
