TURKEY ALANYA - FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT DAY

ALANYA

FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT DAY

It is not exactly known when Alanya, situated on the Mediterranean coast of Turket, was first settled. However, the exploration made in the Kadini Cave, 12 kilometres from the centre, suggests that the human history of the region dates back to the Palaeolithic Age. The earliest known names of the settlement were Coracesium. As early as the 4^th century BC, Alnya, under the Persian control, exported honey and wine to Egypt. In 197 BC, the city, thanks to its strong defensive walls, successfully resisted an attack by King Antiochus III. 

The pirate Diodotus Tryphon began using Alanya as a safe harbor by 137 BC and the city rapidly became a hub for Cilician sea bandits. The Roman Commander Pompeius brought an end to the piratical activity in the region with his victorious sea battle in 67 BC. Following this war the region was incorporated into the Roman Empire and the Roman General Mark Antony later rendered it as a gift to Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt.

During antiquity the city passed between the control of neighbouring Cilicia and Pamphylia and during the 7^th and 8^th centuries AD< successive wars and economic stagnation caused the city to shrink.

The Seljuk Period brought the history of Alanya to its zenith. In 1221, the Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat made ALnaya his winner residence and rebuilt the city and Alanya became the main base of the Seljuk navy. In this period defensive walls were also renovated and Kizikule (Red Tower) and Tersane (Dockyard) were constructed. During the reign of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, in 1471 , Alanya was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire and between the 13^th and 18^th centuries it prospered as an important port for maritime trading with Egypt , Syria and Cyprus. 

In 1935, Ataturk visited the city and renamed it as “ Alanya”. In our time, Alnaya is one of the prominent tourist destinations of the Mediterranean, offering a rich historical and cultural heritage and modern facilities, enabling the easy enjoyment of sun, sand and sea.