ALANYA (Koracesion – Kalonoros – Alaiye):

In the shadow of the Taurus Mountains, stretching towards the blue waters of the Mediterranean, lies this fertile peninsula that has been a route for migrations, caravans, and conquerors for thousands of years. The land we now call Alanya has been a stage where civilizations danced together from ancient times to the present. Here, from the moment Alaaddin Keykubat's sword gleamed to the harbor where caravans met the sea, unfolds a journey through history.

The Ancient Gate: From Coracesium to Alaiye

In the 2nd century BC, this "impregnable" fortress served as a refuge for pirates like Diodotos Tryphon. Under the iron fist of Rome, it transformed into a port city. However, its true transformation came in 1221 when the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat conquered it after the Christian leader Kyr Vart surrendered the castle. Legend has it that Vart’s daughter, Mahperi Sultan, married the Sultan as a symbol of peace, opening the gate of Anatolia to the Turks. Keykubat named the castle "Alaiye," making it a second capital. Meaning "The Land of Alaaddin," this name was not just a conquest but a manifesto of a civilization rooted in the Mediterranean.

An Empire’s Dance with the Sea: The Shipyard and the Red Tower

Keykubat’s vision was etched in stone. The red bricks of the Red Tower not only watched over enemy ships but also guarded the future of trade. Beside it, the five-arched Seljuk Shipyard became the birthplace of ships sailing into the Mediterranean. This shipyard was not just for war but also a bridge connecting the spices, silk, and knowledge carried by caravans to the sea. As the Sultan said, "He who conquers the sea, rules the world."

The Footsteps of Millennia-Old Caravans

Alanya was one of the southernmost critical junctions of the Silk Road. From the Persian Royal Road to the Roman trade network and the Seljuk Caravanserai Route:

• Kadıini Cave: Once a shelter for the first nomadic communities who lit fires and hunted, this cave later became a night refuge for caravans.

• Alara Han: Built by Keykubat in 1232, this caravanserai is a living testament to the rule of merchants resting every three days.

• Dim River: After Fatih Sultan Mehmet annexed these lands to the Ottoman Empire in 1471, caravans quenched their thirst and rested by this river.

Before and After the Conquest: The Rebirth of a City

Before Keykubat’s conquest, Alanya (then Kalonoros) was a provincial fortress in Byzantium’s defense chain. However, the Sultan’s strategic genius turned it into the point where Anatolia married the sea. The shipyard built after the conquest wove a network stretching from Alexandria to Venice, serving both naval and trade ships. This harbor was so valuable that even when the Mamluk Sultan Baybars besieged Alaiye in 1277, he retreated in the face of Seljuk resistance.

From the Ottomans to the Republic: A City in the Shadow of Names

In 1471, Alanya, conquered by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, wore the Ottoman crown not as a naval base but as Anatolia’s granary for citrus and sugarcane. In 1935, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s visit gave the city a new identity: "Alanya." This name change was not just a play on words but a reflection of the republic’s modern vision.

Today: The Embrace of History and Tourism

Every path you walk in Alanya whispers the traces of a thousand years:

• While swimming at Cleopatra Beach, imagine the amphorae loaded by Roman merchants.

• In the damp corridors of Damlataş Cave, search for the treasures hidden by pirates.

• From the towers of Alanya Castle, gaze at the Mediterranean and hear Keykubat’s words: "Here, the sea sings the song of victory."

Final Words: Civilizations Passing Like Caravans

Alanya carries the traces of civilizations in every layer, from the Hittites’ bronze weapons to the Persians’ gold coins, from the Seljuks’ red bricks to the Ottomans’ caravanserais. As Evliya Çelebi wrote in 1671: "This land is the gate of heaven. Its mountains have pines, its seas have fish, and its people have warmth."

Alanya’s call is not just to leave footprints in the sand but to mingle with the dust of Keykubat’s caravans and march to the rhythm of history.

Alanya: An epic written not by time, but by humanity.

Alanya’s Ancient Names Throughout History:

1. Korakesion (Korakesium): The oldest known name of Alanya, used during ancient times, particularly in the Roman and Byzantine periods. It refers to the city’s rocky peninsula and was recorded by the ancient geographer Scylax in the 4th century BC.

2. Kalonoros: Used during the Byzantine period, meaning "beautiful mountain," reflecting the city’s geographical beauty.

3. Alaiye: Given after the conquest by the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat in the 13th century, meaning "the land of Alaaddin."

4. Alanya: The modern name, adapted from Alaiye, was given in 1935 during Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s visit to the region.