The Red Tower and Castle are really the symbols of the city of Alanya. Alanya is located to the east of Antalya and Side. North of Alanya lies the Taurus Mountains, and to the south the Mediterranean Sea.

The Red Tower of Alanya

Alanya’s Red Tower is next to the harbor and was built in the 13th century to supervise the harbor and the shipyard. The tower is octagonal, 33 meters high and has a diameter of 29 meters.

The tower owes its name to the color of the fifth and highest floor, which is built in red bricks. Other parts of the tower are built with old marble.

If you take a good look around you on each floor, you will see that every floor is different. You will find a water container in the middle of the tower’s courtyard.

You can reach the top of the tower by means of steep stone steps. The first floor serves as an exhibition space.

The Castle of Alanya

The Castle of Alanya is an impressive structure. The castle in its current form was built in the 13th century by the Selçuk ruler Alâüddin Keykubad I, but a castle already stood on this hill in Hellenistic times.

The castle consists of a total of 6.5 kilometers of wall with 140 turrets and various entrance gates, which are often damaged. Within the walls are several buildings, including a Byzantine church, baths and a water storage.

In about an hour you can hike up to the castle, which is 250 meters above sea level. Upon arrival you have a great view over Alanya and the Mediterranean Sea. You can also reach the castle by car, but the road to the castle is very narrow and also very busy in high season. You can also take the cable car up.

The old shipyard

The shipyard was built in 1227 and consists of five galleries that open out into the sea where warships were built in the Selçuk period. The galleries are interconnected by arch constructions. In addition to the galleries, the shipyard consists of a small mosque, some office buildings and a weapon house, where cannons were formerly made.

Visit

The Red Tower is approximately 25 minutes driving from Villa Carlijn. It can also be combined well with the cable car (combi tickets are available for purchase) and the Damlataş cave (stalactite cave).