Discover Alanya: Castle, Museum and Coast

Alanya offers a range of themes to shape your travel plans: coastal scenery, the castle complex and museum collections. If you are looking for a hotel in Alanya, these themes can help you decide what to focus on during your trip. They range from nature and the sea to architecture and historical collections.

Coast and cave

Cleopatra Beach lies on the western side of Alanya’s historic peninsula, in front of Damlataş Cave. Surrounded by rocks, this natural beach has Blue Flag status. Cleopatra Bay is considered to have clear waters; when swimming with goggles, you can observe fish and natural features of the seabed.

Damlataş Cave was discovered in 1948 during the extraction of stone for the construction of the harbor. Its entrance area has a 50-meter-long passage and reaches a height of up to 15 meters. The cave’s air is considered to remain constant throughout the year, at 22 °C and 95 percent humidity. This place thus brings together a specific story of discovery, striking dimensions and distinctive air conditions.

Castle complex: buildings and history

The walls of Alanya Castle extend for 6.5 kilometers. The castle has been continuously inhabited throughout its history and is considered one of the best-preserved castles among those still standing in Anatolia. Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman works can all be seen inside; the İçkale section is presented as an open-air museum. The middle castle section known as Ehmedek is also presented as an open-air museum.

The castle’s main gate, also called Pazar Kapısı, is a 13th-century structure with military and ceremonial functions. The restored gate and the adjoining bastion and wall section serve as a visitor information center. The İçkale Palace was built by Alaaddin Keykubat and used as an administrative building. To its north, İçkale Church lies between the vaulted barracks room and the forecourt.

The castle also includes a mosque named after Akşebe Sultan, one of the castle’s first commanders, and a mausoleum dating from 1230. For many years, a historic lighthouse at the castle guided ships on their way. Since February 25, 2000, Alanya has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in the cultural category, under criteria (iii) and (iv).

Kızılkule and the historic shipyard

The 13th-century Kızılkule is considered an outstanding example of medieval defensive architecture in the Mediterranean region. The tower is 33 meters high on its eastern side; on the western side, it is three meters lower because of the sloping terrain. This difference in height can therefore be directly explained by the different ground levels.

Alanya Shipyard is 57 meters long and 40 meters deep, and consists of five vaulted halls. Ventilation openings in the vaults let in light and allow smoke to escape. Today, the shipyard serves as a ship and maritime museum. The dimensions of its halls and the function of the openings offer a clear impression of its construction, while its present-day use connects it to seafaring.

Alanya Archaeological Museum

Alanya Archaeological Museum opened in 1967 with 14 covered exhibition halls and one open-air hall. Its collections include finds from the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as significant Seljuk and Ottoman Turkish-Islamic works. Its most significant object is considered to be a bronze statue of Heracles, cast in the 2nd century AD.

Exhibition themes include Anatolian civilizations, shipping and seafaring, Heracles, Alanya Castle and coins. A stone inscription in the Phoenician language is dated to 625 BC and is considered the oldest dated find from the area around Alanya. The museum is on Damlataş Caddesi, at the start of the path leading up to the castle. This makes it possible to connect a museum visit with both the collections and the history of the castle.

Alanya offers different points of focus to help you decide on your trip: the beach foregrounds coastal scenery and observing the sea, while the castle, shipyard and museum offer insights into architectural history and collections. Tailor your search for hotels in Alanya to whether you would like your trip to focus more on the coast or on its cultural and historical sites.

Discover more destinations: Ilıca, Çıralı, Adrasan, Serik, Küçükköy, Akdam, Boztepe, Yukarıkaraman

For the broader travel overview: Antalya.