Alanya is a touristic center on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast 138 km/86 miles east of Antalya.The municipal district, which includes the city center, has close to 400,000 inhabitants
Alanya has been dubbed Kücük Almanya, or Little Germany.An influx of tourists from Germany drawn to its 70 km/43-mile coastline has transformed Alanya from a
sleepy fishing town surrounded by banana plantations and orange groves to one of the country’s most popular destinations.
Alanya is a bustling holiday resort at the base of a rocky promontory topped by a pictureque castle. Once the winter capital of the Selcuk Turkish empire, there are excellent views from the battlements along the coast past citrus orchards and banana plantations.
Down by the harbour there are more historic Selcuk buildings, along with lots of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The town has a large and colourful weekly market where you can buy fruit and vegetables, spices and souvenirs.
There are sandy beaches a few minutes walk from the centre, or in summer drive up the nearby Dimcay valley, where you can eat fresh trout and swim in the refreshing river.
During the hottest summer months, local families escape into the Taurus Mountains to picturesque alpine villages, know as yayla.
Neighbours;Manavgat, Belek, Side, Aspendos, Anamur, Silifke
Alanya Climate and Weather
Alanya has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are extremely hot with temperatures well above 40°C in July and August, you should drink plenty of water to keep hydrated which is important in a very hot place such as Alanya. Winters are cool with temperatures around 10-20°C. Spring and Autumn are the wettest seasons, yet still very sunny, which is the best time to go for people who want a warm holiday that is not too hot like the summer, with temperatures around 20-29°C. Summers are hot and humid and winters are mild and mostly sunny.
What is the best time for travelling to Alanya?
Swimming :April to October
Touring :All year round, July-August is not recommended as it may be too hot.
Getting There
Gazipaşa Airport is 33 kilometers south-west of Alanya and Antalya International Airport is 121 kilometres (75 mi) away from Alanya. Alanya has dolmus and bus system. There are local taxis in Alanya. Bus service to Alanya is available from Istanbul, Izmir, and the major cities of Turkey
History
Alanya is a popular settlement centre since prehistoric period. The ancient town was the hideaway of pirates in B.C 2nd century; finally, Romans had enough. They decided that the pirates need “putting down”, and occupied the town to obstruct piracy. According to Heredot’s opinion, there were too much immigrants after the war of Troy in this area. The climate and the flora of Alanya were attractive for all civilizations.
alanya beach 300x187 Alanya
According to a legend, Cleopatra was impressed by the beautiful beaches and palm trees after her trip to the region. In the A.C 395, Alanya was under the sovereignty of Byzantium and had a name that means ” nice mountain”. Alanya was conquered by Aladdin Keykubad (the sultan of Seljuk Empire) in 1220. The city was occupied to protect the capital Konya, which was located at the north of Alanya.
Alanya was a very important naval base for Aladdin Keykubad; therefore Seljuks constructed a castle consisting of three parts.
Alanya had the speciality of being the most important naval base at the Anatolian side for hundreds of years because of being the connection of all the ways to east, west and north.
Sights;Red Tower (Kizil Kule),Damlatas Cave,Lovers Cave,Pirates Cave,The house of Ataturk,The Cave of Dim,The Museum of Alanya