Alanya Castle, which is located on the Alanya peninsula and has an exquisite view with its 6.5 kilometer long walls, dates back to the Hellenistic period, but the Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat built the version we see today in 1221.
Alanya Castle
Alanya Castle has nearly 400 cisterns to meet the water needs of the city. With 83 towers and 140 bastions, the castle, which is located in a very large area, was built by surrounding the peninsula, passing through Ehmedek, İçkale, Adam Atacağı, Cilvarda nose, Arab Evliyası Burcu and Esat Burcu, then Tophane and Tersane and ending at the Red Tower.
Various historical artifacts are exhibited within the borders of Alanya Castle. Among these artifacts is the ram’s head, which was used in history, especially in the Middle Ages, to break down castle gates or demolish walls. A wheeled and sheltered version of the ram head, which was used by many people, is exhibited in Alanya Castle.
It is also possible to see undated inscriptions inside the castle. At the entrance gate of the shipyard, you can also come across a magnificent inscription written in relief in celi sülüs calligraphy on marble.
Gratitude is to Allah. The Great Sultan, the great Khan, the great of religion and the world, the conqueror of countries, the ruling partner of Amir al-Mu’minin, Keykubad, son of Keyhusrev, son of Kilic Arslan
You can see almost the whole of Alanya from the most extreme point of the Inner Castle. The combination of the blue flag Cleopatra Beach on your right and Keykubad Beach on your left with the deep blue sea fascinated us as well as many visitors.
The area where you enter the castle is called the Inner Castle, this part is the highest part of the castle, if we express it numerically, it is 250 meters above the sea. Click here to see the plan of Alanya Castle, which includes the Inner Castle, the Outer Castle and the Middle Castle.
In the east of the castle, which uses an elegant and impressive Seljuk style in terms of architecture as well as defense, you will see a tower in red tones protecting the coastline. The tower, which dominates the entire harbor and shipyard, is known as the Red Tower.
What are the entrance fee and visiting hours of Alanya Castle?
Alanya Castle is open every day. While it can be visited between 08:00 – 19:30 in the summer period, the closing time is 17:00 in the winter period. However, you can enter free of charge with Museum Pass.
Where is Alanya Castle and how to get there?
The castle is 136km from Antalya, but it is located right in the center of Alanya. If you go to Alanya, be sure to go up to the castle, which can be seen from everywhere in Alanya. Because this is the only point in Alanya that shows the beauty of both sides from a bird’s eye view.
If you are coming by car, you will climb upwards on a winding road until the entrance of the castle. There is a paid parking lot in front of the entrance.
Red Tower: A Seljuk Defense Fortress
The Red Tower, which was built at a dominant and important point for security purposes, got this name because of the red bricks used on the upper floor due to its lightness. The reason why the bricks were red was the egg applied to make them strong.
For the construction of the Red Tower, the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, after the Seljuks conquered Alanya, commissioned the Aleppo master Abu Ali Reha el Kettani, who built the Sinop Castle in 1215.
The Red Tower, which has a unique place among the structures of Turkish architecture, especially in the Seljuk period, has come to an important place in Alanya region with the dominance it established at sea.
The tower, which provides the security of the city and is also important for the protection of the castles surrounding it, was deployed on the eastern edge of the Alanya peninsula in 1226.
The Red Tower is an eight-sided structure with each corner measuring 12.5 meters wide. The tower, which has a large cistern in the middle, has a height of 33 meters and a diameter of 29 meters. Each floor of the 5-story tower is designed for a different purpose.
The 1st floor of the tower was opened to visitors in 1979 and started to be used as Kızılkule Ethnography Museum and exhibition hall.
Here you can see various clothes, utensils, weapons, looms, scales, carpets and rugs, as well as ethnographic artifacts belonging to the Yoruk culture of Alanya region. Thus, you can not only visit the tower, but also closely examine the culture of the region.
Although it has a simple structure from the outside, it is a very functional tower. The narrow windows on some floors were once used for shooting arrows at the enemy and pouring hot oil. The fourth floor is the floor with the huge mouth of the cistern built to meet the water needs of the soldiers.
On the last floor, the 5th floor, you have the opportunity to see the location of the tower in 360 degrees. It is also possible to see the Red Tower as a drawing on the back of the 250.000 TL coin in circulation between 1992 and 2005.
If you are coming to the Red Tower, which adds movement to the silhouette of Alanya, you can leave your car in the parking lot right in front of the tower. The entrance of the tower is not from the parking lot side but from the back side. If you are going for the first time, don’t let it escape your eyes.
The Seljuk ruler Alaeddin Keykubad I started the construction of the shipyard in 1228, two years after the Red Tower. Keykubad, who wanted to realize his desire to become Sultan-ül Bahreyn (Sultan of the Seas), built the Alanya Shipyard after the Sinop Shipyard and took the title of Sultan of the Two Seas.
The shipyard has five compartments, each compartment is 1.60m x 2.50m. When you enter inside, the height reaches 7.70 meters. The shipyard, where the inward depth is 42.30 meters, is currently operating as a museum with various marine artifacts. Click here to see the map of Alanya shipyard.
It is possible to see many historical sea products in the shipyard where boat building and repair continued until the 1960s. Today it is used as a museum. A wooden platform has been built and as we walk on this platform, we see some parts of the boats and the tools used on the ships such as anchors. One of them is a crane made of wood. It is completely man-powered and is used for loading and unloading stone materials and for the construction of castles and buildings.
As we move through the shipyard, we also see a sample drawing showing the relationship of Alanya Castle with the number pi. The tophane is 10 meters high from its end to the west of the shipyard. The main purpose was to protect the shipyard from foreign forces and was built in 1228.
Müzekart is valid for entrances to the Red Tower and the shipyard. Visitors without a Müzekart can enter the Red Tower, Shipyard and Damlataş Cave separately or by purchasing combined tickets depending on the museum or museums you will visit.
Where is Alanya Shipyard and how to get there?
The shipyard is located on the sea side on the slopes of the castle. You can reach the entrance of the shipyard by continuing along the coast from the city walls in front of the Red Tower. During this time, people swim in the sea in front of the city walls. It has a clean sea, we recommend it. If you want, you can return to the shipyard not from the same road but from the sea.
