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Turkey Alanya, Where the Sun Shines 300 Days a
Year
Alanya Picture Gallery
Could it be said that
Alanya’s reputation derives from the massive rock which hugs the
warm waters of the Mediterranean? Once upon a time YES! But today
Alanya is much more renowned for its natural, historical and tourist
attractions.
Time travel is not possible yet, so use your imagination and let us
take you on a short journey. Just follow us... As rumour has it, the
leader of a colonist group, who was about to begin its tremendous
adventure in new discoveries along the south coast of Anatolia,
consulted the Oracle for the best path to be followed and the best
possible location to found a new city. Prophecies were poetic in
that time. Considering we are not oracles, let us give it a try. The
Oracle gives the clue: FIND THE NEST, DO NOT GET THE REST, YOU WILL
SEE THE ROOK and FOLLOW IT AS A BOOK! Name of the rook was
KORAKESION so with this prophecy they began the journey knowing
nothing but a bird had to be found and followed. After searching for
a long time they were about to give up exhausted when someone saw
the korakesion trying to fly but it was injured. The group got
incredibly excited and shouted: “Wow this is the bird the Oracle
told us to follow’’ and the leader spoke: “Follow it till the nest,
there we can get the rest.” Going after the bird, they climbed the
peninsula where they saw the irresistible beauty of the surrounding
area and established Alanya, the name she is known as today.
Alanya has been called different names throughout its history.
Korakesion (Land of the Rook) embraced pirates; Kolonoros (Beautiful
Mountain) welcomed Byzantines; Alaiye (City of Aladdin the founder),
presented its hospitality; Alanya (where the sun shines 300 days) is
home for us.
The geographical survey ‘Skylaks’ indicates that Korakesion was
first seen on the pages of history 2.400 years ago in the 4th
century B.C. Despite the fact that Korakesion did not play an
important role in the history, its reputation spread over the
ancient world with its solid defence. A rebel named Diodotos
provoked piracy in the vicinity of the settlement by using
Korakesion as his headquarters for his rebellion against Seleucid
king Antiochus VII. After a series of bloody struggles, Alanya
became the base of famous Cilician pirates. Of course this annoyed
the imperialist Romans, who enjoyed controlling trade with eastern
colonies, becauses of their commercial losses on the way to the
eastern world. Trade was being threatened by the pirates. Then Rome
felt this had to stop and sent Pompey the Great as the commander of
Roman Naval Forces.
67 B.C: Today’s beautiful turquoise shores of the Mediterranean were
set on fire by hostile battleships. The stunning turquoise colour
sea had to withstand inevitable punishment from Pompey because it
was the accomplice of pirates, by being painted red. Pirates, given
the harshest notice by determined soldiers of the Roman Empire, were
dragged out of Korakesion. Smoke, blood, flames and screams describe
the unforgettable setting for the triumph of Rome along the shores
of Korakesion. Gods and goddesses blessed the Roman victory and
peace replaced chaos.
Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt, met Mark Anthony, Roman
Commander of Cilicia Region, and fell in love immediately. It was a
romantic relationship as well as being a dangerous one. They got
married in this small but romantic fishing town in 32 B.C. Mark
Anthony gave the town to Cleopatra as a wedding gift. However they
did not have enough time to enjoy their marriage as they had to be
ready for their inevitable destiny. We believe the reason Cleopatra
chose Alanya was not only because of its beauty but also the
presence of densely planted cedar trees which could be used in the
building of warships later.
Some time later the name of the town was changed. Perhaps the legend
of the prophecy was forgotten or the new name Kolonoros was thought
to suit the city better. The name 'Beautiful Mountain' makes no
sense unless you have seen it. When one looks down to Cleopatra
Beach to the west and Aladdin Beach to the east, one immediately
feels the undeniable glory and one can say “That is the right name
for this place, ‘KOLONOROS’.
Of course life in the town was not as active all the time as it had
been in the late Byzantine period. It was quiet, calm and warm as
always. This time, along with its beauty, Kolonoros was much wiser
and received the prayers of priests and a Christian community. Today
a monastery and an 11th century church can be seen in the castle as
silent witnesses to ancient times.
The historical Peninsula’s harmonic dance with the caring wind
sounded like the messenger of a great storm. The name of the storm
was the Seljuk Turks! Immigrant Turks were attracted from the cold
steppes of central Asia to Anatolia by its fertility and hospitality.
They first penetrated Anatolia from the east and arrived at their
first capital Konya. It was centrally located but unfortunately was
not as warm as Kolonoros. In the cold winters of Konya, Alanya was
the best choice for the winter residence of the Sultan. Between the
years 1226-1232 today’s castle was built on the ancient memories of
the town. But it was expected to behave like a Turkish town. For
this reason the name of the town was converted to Alaiye after the
conqueror ‘Aladdin Keykubad’. A 6.5 km castle wall, 140 watch towers,
a dockyard, hundreds of cisterns as part of the water supply,
Turkish baths, mosques were built,. The town was successfully
Turkified and sailed to new adventures. From then on, a flag with a
crescent moon and star has been waving on the Castle Walls of Alanya
under the Seljuk and Ottoman dynasties, and now the Republic of
Turkey.
It is ALANYA today, named by Mustafa Kemal ATATURK the founder of
modern Turkey, when he visited Alaiye in 1935. Both names are very
similar but Alanya is more suited to the revised Turkish alphabet.
Official Tour Guides of letsgototurkey Team
Things to see:
The large popular resort of Alanya lies at one end of a rocky
promontory which juts out into the Mediterranean between two sandy
beaches. A 13th century Seljuk fortress, one of the most magnificent
sights on the coast, crowns the headland. 150 towers punctuate the
walls of the well preserved double-walked citadel. Within the outer
walls are ruins of mosques, a caravanserai and a covered bazaar; in
the inner walls are a ruined cistern and a Byzantine church.
Although Alanya's history dates back beyond Roman times, it rose to
prominence under the Seljuk Turks when in 1220 Alaeddin Keykubat
made it his winter residence and naval base. The remaining buildings
reflect the importance of the city in Seljuk times. Besides the
impressive citadel, tourists should explore the unique dockyards and
the octagonal Kizil Kule (Red Tower). Alanya is a beautiful holiday
centre of modern hotels and motels, numerous fish restaurants and
cafes. The cafes that ring the harbour have become popular gathering
places for tourists. From the town's lovely park, the road runs
along the coast to the harbour lined with countless boutiques which
tempt tourists with handicrafts, leather, clothes, jewellery,
handbags and the amusing painted gourds, a symbol of the area. In
August when Alanya hosts a colourful International Folklore Festival
the atmosphere is charged with vitality and gaiety. If you enjoy
exploring, you should visit the Damlatas Cave to see the misshapen
rock formations. Nearby is the Archaeological and Ethnographical
Museum. A boat can take you to the three sea grottoes: Fosforlu
Magara with it phosphorescent rocks, the Kizlar Magarasi where
pirates imprisoned their female captives and the Asiklar Magarasi (Lover's
Cave). When the intense sun overpowers you, take a day trip to the
Dim Cayi Vadisi, 15 Km east of Alanya where you can relax in the
shade of this scenic valley and listen to the river rushing by.
Avsallar, about 25 Km from Alanya to the west is a holiday resort
with fine sandy beaches. If you travel east from Alanya towards
Gazipasa you will discover and no doubt linger on the exceptional
beaches.
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