Roots in the Early History

The city of Alanya has a very long history, even if the exactly date of the beginnig is disappeared in the dark of the years. It is known, that already in prehistoric time cavemen have spent the summertime in this area. Thousands of years old bones and fossils where found in a cave near the village Obaköy, about 5 km from Alanya´s center - the fossils are dated for the early Paleolithic age, in a time between 20.000 and 17.000 v. Chr. At this time existed hardly stationary settlements, the early people wandered in search of food and mild weather conditions far over the country.

Already about 1820 v.Chr. refugees from the First Troy War should have been accepted here, but in the 14th century v. Chr. occured the Hethits Pamphylia and Cilicia and should have killed thousands of persons.

First Mention of the City

The beginning of the first settlement in the today´s area of Alanya is not exactly known. The first mention was in the 4th century v.Chr. by Greek named Scylax who wrote from a city "Coracaesium". Then the city sinks back again for a long time into the darkness of the history. since the historian known at that time and historian Strabon, between 63 and 24 v. Chr. lived which described city as a hardly accessible and impregnable settlement. In the eventful history(story) belonged Coracesium to Pamphylien, to Cilicia. Even if there were long periods in which the historians wrote nothing about the city, may be supposed that there were few quiet and peaceful times for Coracesium because of its strategically position.

The Romans and the pirates

When Antiochus III in the year 199 v. Chr. occured Cilicia, he established the long tradition of the pirates in Coracesium. The People who lived there didn´t accept living with an conqueror, so they went to the Sea and made the Mediterranean region insecure. Probably that's why the siege of Coracaesium failed and Antiochos III renounced the conquest and devastation of the city. Just 10 years later he was defeated by the Romans. In this time a political "no-man's-land" developed itself in the coastal towns, which made this region to a notorious rebel and pirate base.

One of these feared pirate's captains, Diodotos Tryphon, made Coracesium to his headquarter. He used the caves as treasuries and also held in custody his hostages up to payment of a ransom. In the year 142 v. Chr. he explained himself to the king the Seleukids and ruled during 3 years, before King Antiochos VII. brought his dominion to an end - but - the pirate´s tradition didn´t stop, but it grow bigger and bigger. In this time the pirates from Coracesium did work together with the city of Side, where one of the biggest slave markets of this time has found its place - if a family couldn´t (or didn´t want to) pay no ransom, the kidnapped people were sold there as slaves. Because the Roman empire was occupied at this time by several wars, the pirates could follow profession with no disturbance.

In the year 75 v. Chr. did the pirates a crucial mistake: they kidnapped Julius Caesar! This was a very big failure, because after the payment of the ransom the Romans immediately started a retaliation campaign against the pirates. But it was during until the year 70 v. Chr., when General Pompejus got an exceptional command and for the first time sufficient ships, soldiers and competence to defeat the pirates. He conquered Coracesium in short time and let drag the city walls.

The most famous Love Story at the Turkish Riviera

Until today Alanya is the place where many happy or unhappy love stories start (and also end)... but the city is also the place of one of the most famous love stories in the world´s history: The Love of Kleopatra an Marcus Antonius...
With the murdering of Caesar in the year 44 v. Chr. and the division of the Roman empire attained Marcus Antonius the dominion of the East-Roman Empire. In the year 41 v. Chr. began this story which also had direct influence on the region around Alanya: the love of the Egyptian queen Kleopatra and Marcus Antonius .... 4 years later Marcus Antonius presented the city and the region to Kleopatra as an wedding gift. At that time 100 days their honeymoon should have lasted in Coracesium. However, afterwards Kleopatra allowed to clear the woodes region at that time and transport the precious cedars to Egypt for the building of her navy. After the lost war and the suicide of the pair Oktavius took over the dominion about the whole area.

Later the walls were rebuilt which where destroyed by Pompejus. Even today we can find examples in good condition of this building activity in the inside castle of Alanya. In the first centuries of the Christian era the city was christian, some churches form this time are just existing - so for example the Byzantine chapel on the Castle hill. Coracesium received at this time the name "Kalonoros" what means "beautiful mountain".

Time of prosperity under the Seldshuks

In the year 1207 Antalya was conquered by the Seldshuks - they already had established a state with Konya as its capital in central Anatolia. So the access to the Mediterranean was guaranteed and a unparalleled time of prosperity in the region began.

One of the biggest sovereigns of the Seldshuks was Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I., who recognized the strategic importance of the city of Kalonoros very soon, He started his first campaign after his accession to the throne to this city and conquered it. At this time Kalonoros was controlled by the Christian family of the Kyr Vart. Two months he was resisting the siege of the Seldschuks, before he resigned to prevent a massacre.

Bizarre legends curl round the conquest of the castle. They say the sultan had a dream how to conquer the castle of Alanya with the help of Allah: He ordered to collect all goats and cattle from the farmers around, let them put burning straw bundles to the horns and let them run up the mountain, followed by his soldiers with "Allah! Allah!" shouting out loud.
Kyr Vart as a result was frightened to death and wated to give up, if everyone in the castle would be free. This was guaranteed to him and he went to Konya where the sultan married the daughter of the Kyr Vart who passed to the Islamic belief and was called Mah-Peri.

Sultan Keykubat named the city of "Alaiye", made it to his winter quarters and the second capital of the Seldshuks country- Alaiye was the harbour city of the capital Konya. By his various cultural interests he made Alaiye to a culture city and commercial town. Two of the biggest landmarks of the city, the red tower and the Old shipyard where built in this time. After the decline of the seldschuks empire the region was included in 1471 to the Ottoman empire. Together with Tarsus Alaiye belonged 1571 to Cyprus, in 1864 again to Konya and since 1868 to Antalya or to this province.

Alaiye - Alanya

To the current name came Alanya by a small anecdote: in 1933 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited the Turkish coast. A radio officer translated the Morse symbols for "Alaiye" wrongly into "Alanya" - Atatürk enjoyed the sound oft this name and so the mayor of Alaiye decided to call the city from now on Alanya.

Beginnig of Tourism

The modern tourism was founded by a chance discovery and the foresight of one man: in 1948 the Damlatas cave was discovered while harbour works. A citizen Alanyas, Galip Dere, led the first examinations. He had heard from Germany of the healing effect of caves´ air and allowed to execute corresponding examinations which operated the healing effect. He got the permission to increase the input area and sent photos to the newspapers in whole Turkey.

So Galip Dere is the real founder of the tourist tradition in Alanya, the longest on the Turkish Mediterranean coast.

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