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 4th 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 7th and 8th 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 13th and 18th
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.
