History
Though first fortified in the Hellenistic
period following the area's conquest by Alexander the
Great, the castle rock was likely inhabited long before
that under the Hittite and Persian Empires. Known in
Latin as Coracesium or in Greek as Korakesion from the
Luwian Korakassa meaning "point/protruding city," it was
a popular spot for Mediterranean piracy. This period
ended with the city's incorporation into the Roman
Empire by Pompey in 65 BC. After the Empire's collapse
and split, the city remained under Byzantine influence,
becoming known as "Kolonoros," or beautiful mountain.
The area fell from their sphere of influence after the
Battle of Manzikert to tribes of Seljuk Turks, only to
be returned in 1097 by Alexios I Komnenos and forces of
the First Crusade. The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
periodically held the port, and it was from an Armenian,
Kir Fard, that Muslims took lasting control in 1221 when
the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I
exchanged governance of the city of Aksehir for it. The
the city was renamed Alaiye, a derivative of Ala ad-Din.
Seljuk rule saw the golden age of the city, and it can
be considered the winter capital of their empire.
Building projects, including the twin citadel, city
walls, arsenal, and Red Tower made it an important port
for western Mediterranean trade, particularly with
Ayyubid Egypt and the Italian city-states. Kay Qubadh
also constructed numerous gardens and pavilions outside
the walls, and many of his works can still be found in
the city.
The Mongol invasion broke
down Seljuk control, and the city fell to a series of
beyliks, and even to Lusignans from Cyprus. The city was
sold by the Karamanoğlu dynasty in 1427 to the Mamluk
dynasty for a period before the general Gedik Ahmed
Pasha in 1471 incorporated it into the growing Ottoman
Empire. In 1571 the city was organized into the province
of Cyprus, then later under Konya, and in 1868 under
Antalya, as it is today. Like most in this region, the
city suffered heavily following the population exchanges
the heralded the Turkish Republic, when many of the
city's Christians resettled in Nea Ionia, outside
Athens. In his 1935 visit, Atatürk finalized the name in
the new alphabet as Alanya, changing the 'i'
and 'e' in Alaiye, reportedly because of a misspelled
telegram two years prior. Tourism in the region
started among Turks who flocked to Alanya in the 1950s
for the alleged healing properties of Damlataş cave, and
later with the access provided by Antalya's airport
gaining the city greater international appeal.
Geography 
Located on the Gulf of
Antalya in the coastal plain of Pamphylia, the town is
bordered by the Taurus Mountains on the north and the
Mediterranean Sea on the south and is considered part of
the Turkish riviera. The town is divided by a rocky
peninsula with the harbor and Keykubat beach, named for
Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I, on the east side and Damlataş
beach, named for the famous "dripping caves," and
Cleopatra beach on the west side. Legend and locals
claim the name derives from either the Ptolemaic
princess' visit here or the area's inclusion in her
dowry to Mark Antony. Regardless, the area was indeed
under Egyptian hegemony in the first century BC.
Atatürk Caddasi, or
Boulevard, runs perpendicular to the sea, and divides
the southern, much more touristic side of Alanya from
the northern, more native side, that extends north into
the mountains.
Though Alanya has been
part of Antalya Province since the Ottoman Empire, an
Alanya Province has been a goal of many area
politicians.
Architecture
On the peninsula stands a Seljuk era
citadel from 1226. Walls surround the old city, home to
many fine villas, leading down to the pride of the city,
the Kızıl Kule (Red Tower). Sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh
I brought the accomplished architect Ebu Ali from
Aleppo, Syria to Alanya to complete the building.
Completed in 1226 the octagonal tower protects the
Tersane (arsenal) which dates from 1221. So well made
was it that it remains one of the finest examples of
medieval military architecture.
With its rich
architectural heritage, Alanya is a member of the
Norwich-based European Association of Historic Towns and
Regions
Places of
Interest
Alanya Kale (Castle), old city walls,
Süleymaniye Mosque and Caravanserai
Kızıl Kule (Red Tower), a brick
building located at the harbor, 33 meters high; with the
ethnographic museum inside.
Tersane (arsenal), the dry dock located adjacent to the
Tower
Damlataşh
cave, with an average temperature of 22 °C and 96%
humidity
Archaeology museum
Population
The city has a population
of 264,240, with 150,346 in the city center, and of
which about 45,000 are European. During the summer the
populations increases due to large numbers of tourists,
about 1.2 million each year pass through the city. Many
social classes meet in Alanya. Wealthy Turks and
Europeans who vacation or reside part-time here are the
revenue source for much of the population. The town is
also home to many immigrants from the west, particularly
the southwest of Turkey, of Kurdish, Turkish, and
Armenian heritages. The town is near 99% Muslim, and
although many ancient churches can be found in the city,
there are not regular Christian services. In 2006, a
German language protestant church with seasonal service
opened with much fanfare, a sign of the growing European
population in the city. Israeli tourists, often from
cruise ships, constitute the Jewish population. The city
boasts a 95% literacy, with public, private, and
religious based schools available. Akdeniz University
[6], the largest higher education in the area, is
located between Alanya and Antalya. Georgetown
University also operates an annual study abroad program
for American students to study in Alanya.
Economy
Many tourists (especially
Scandinavian, German, Russian and the Dutch people)
vacation in Alanya during the summer. Tourists are drawn
to the area because of reasonable prices, pleasantly
warm weather, sandy beaches, access to historic sites,
and fine cuisine. Beach activities frequently include
wind surfing, parasailing, and banana boating.
Nightclubs and bars aimed at tourists are numerous. A
height restriction in the city keeps high rise hotels to
the east and west of the city, preserving its skyline at
the expense of greater tourist potential.
The tourist industry here
is worth over 1.2 billion euros, and is therefore the
principal industry, though the area is known for its
many fruit farms, particularly lemons and oranges, and
large harvests of tomatoes, bananas and cucumbers.
Sports
Alanya is home to a
woman's basketball team, Alanya Belediye, which started
in the first division but was relegated after the 2002
season. The city hosts a third level soccer team,
Alanyaspor , though fan in the city are mostly
divided between the three major Istanbul teams. Alanya
is perhaps more famous for the annual triathlon held
every October, and for the city's role in the European
Beach Volleyball championship tournament, currently
sponsored by Nestea.
