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Where the Sun Smiles ; Alanya
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THE
ALANYA CASTLE
As
the promontory where the fortress is situated is not easily
accessible either from sea or land it was not inhabited
continually throughout the history. It was surrounded by
city walls first during the Hellenistic era and later new
additions were constructed according to the demands of the
time. The monumental fortress of Alanya is truly the
sturdiest and the most splendid of all fortresses in
Anatolia today. The oldest known inscriptions too, it may be
assumed that the whole fortress was built by Sultan Alaaddin
Keykubat y between 1226-1232.According to the inscription on
it, the octagonal structure known today as the Red Tower (Kyzyl
Kule) was the first structure built by the Seljuk's in
Alanya and it is the key point of the fortress. The defense
line that starts here, in accordance with the topography of
the land ascends in a zigzagging manner although not always
regularly. After a certain distance it joins a complex of
buildings called Ehmedek, which was built, on top of a
Hellenistic tower. The city wall, which turns southward
after Ehmedek and descends, in order, to Adam Ataca?y
Cilvarda Burnu, Arab Evliyasy Tower, Esad Tower and then by
Tophane and Tersane, ends where it starts, at the red Tower.
Since the land between the Red Tower and Ehmedek is not so
steep, in order to slow down attacks from the north, curtain
walls were built outside the main city walls, in many places
ditches were dug in the bedrock at the first lien of defense
against attacks. The first lien of the fortress must have
been considered secure since no such defense elements were
used. One-hundred-forty towers are seen on top of the city
walls that stretch a total of 6400 meters. These walls and
towers, built with stone and mortar, had embrasures, holes
to pour out hot oil and ramps to facilitate the movements of
the soldiers in the fortress. The fortress was entered
through the arched main gates with inscriptions on them.
There were also smaller auxiliary gates.
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THE
RED TOWER
The
33-metre tall tower was built in order to keep the harbor under
surveillance at all times. The technique used in its
construction, its floor plan and its construction, its floor
plan and its durability make this monumental tower one of the
most prominent Seljuk monument. The octagonal tower built on
rocky terrain has a diameter of 29 meters.
This
durable thick mortar was used in almost all of the Seljuk towers.
Although the stones in certain sections have crumbled down, the
mortar still remains intact. The tower was named after Sultan
Alaaddin Keykubat when it was first built, but later it was
renamed the red tower due to the red bricks used in the
construction. Many architectural pieces dating back to the
ancient times were used in its construction. Especially the
ancient column shafts used horizontally in the construction of
the facade give the tower an unusual appearance.
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THE SHIP YARD
Situated to the
south of the Red Tower, right by the sea, there is a covered
building where the big warships of the age were built in
complete security. After Sinop on the black sea coast, the
Seljuk's used this Shipyard as a naval base and sailed the
Mediterranean. Following the construction of these dockyard,
Alaaddin Keykubat y received the title "Sultan of the two seas "
The rectangular structure measures 40 by 57 meters and consists
of vaulted galleries where ships were built. The galleries are
connected to each other by four pointed-arches. It's facade and
all the weight-carrying elements are built of large, cut stone
blocks, and the vaults of baked bricks.
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THE DAMLATAS CAVE
Located at the
western foot of the Fortress of Alanya, the Damlata? Cave is one
of those rare caves in Anatolia which is under management, it
appeals to Turkish as well as foreign tourists since the air in
the cave is beneficial to asthmatics, and it is easily
accessible from the center of the city. It was discovered in
1948 quite by accident, it formed as semi-crystallized limestone
from the Permian period of the Paleozoic Age was shaped by
erosion over thousands of years. It is approximately 100 meters
from the sea and in relation to below the entrance. There are
many stalactites, stalagmites and columns decorating everywhere
in the halls. Following the rumors that asthmatics benefited
from breathing the air in the cave, scientists analyzed a sample
of the air to verify the fact that the air was indeed beneficial
to patients suffering from non-allergic asthma.
They found that the air in the cave contains 10to 12 times more
carbon dioxide than normal air and has 90 to 100 % humidity.
Temperature in the cave is 22 C. Both the radioactivity and
ionization in the cave may contribute to the benefits derived
from breathing the air in the cave.
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THE ALARA CASTLE
A little
further from the ?arapsa Hostel, at the and of the 9 km long
road that separates northward from the main road is the Alara
separates northward from the main road is the Alara Stream which
runs through a deep, narrow valley. On one side of the stream,
on a rocky cliff stands the Alara Fortress. Behind the fortress,
this is steep cliff down to the stream. The Alara stream, which
originates between the mountains covered with green frosts runs
at he foot of the cliff below the fortress and serpentines
towards the sea.
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THE ALARA HOSTEL
Alara Hostel
was the second hostel after ?arapsa on the way from Alaiye to
Antalya and Konya. It is an unusual Seljuk monument since it
also served a religious function as a place where certain
dervishes lived in seclusion. The rectangular structure measures
38 by 50 meters and except for its esteem facade, it is
constructed of cut stones. Various signs identifying the master
stonecutters are seen on these cut stones. Rectangular and
triangular pillars support the three facades of the structure.
The plain portal with a low arch, in the middle of the northern
facade, is the entrance to he hostel. Above the entrance there
is an inscription of six lines in Arabic. Relieves of two
schematic lion heads decorate the inscription.
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IOTAPE (AYTAP)
The 33 km. long
modern road that stretches along the coast between Alanya and
Gazipa?a passes through the remains o Iotape. Although these
ruins date back to the Roman and Byzantine eras it is possible
that the city was named Iotape by the king Antiochus IV (38-72
A.D.) after his wife Queen lotape.It is known that during the
reign of Antiochos IV, in some of the cities in the neighbouring
state of Cilicia coins honoring Queen lotape and their sons
Epiphanes and Callinicus were minted. Coins were also minted in
Iotape during the Roman Empire from the time of Emperor Trajan
the Roman Empire from the Emperor Valerian (270-275). On the
front side of these coins is the bust of the emperor and on the
backside is a description of Apollo, Tyche or Perseus.Iotape is
situated by a small natural harbor on the western side of which
there is a rocky cape 60 meters wide and 30 meters high. The
cape, which is surrounded by walls, like a fortress, guarded the
harbor against attacks from land and sea on the cape there are
remains of Roman and Byzantine structures but they are in such a
bad condition that it is impossible to have an idea about their
floor plans. |
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