Visit Alanya in the Turkish Riviera

Join Shepherd entertainment on a trip to visit Alanya in the Turkish Riviera.

The landscape of the coast is extremely diverse. The attractiveness of the Turkish Riviera can be attributed to lakes that are a pleasure to the eye. Swiftly flowing rivers and waterfalls, bays, tiny cliffs and islands and Rocky Mountains perched at the tiny roads. Jemez and minarets, fortresses, Greek and Roman relics, Seldjuk and other masterpieces of Ottoman architecture, gray stones carved into rocks similarly to Petra, half timbered old houses, lively fishing villages and crowded bizarre provided tourist with numerous exotic sites. Turkish people, like people in the south in general are friendly, noisy and open. They hardly ever hurry and always find time for a good conversation be it about politics, sports or the weather. Men often play card games or the board game called Tafli while women deal with their children, who are loved here just as much as the children in Italy. Life is busy on the coast of Promenade. In the cafes, we can sip Turkish coffee with grounds or very hot apple tea and we can also try Huka. Shops offer delicate jewels that price as much lower than in Europe though we can also bargain for carpets, leather products or several other handicraft works. People lived in the territory of Turkey even 3000 years ago. Civilizations were born and fought with each other. Memories of the varied and sometimes tumultuous past call to mind those who managed to gain a footing here for a shorter or longer period of time. From among the pillars of ancient Ruins, we can see the endless blue sea fighting past and peaceful present, high gray walls and colorful sun umbrellas, bulky towers and slim sailboats. It’s like Irania, one of the tourist centers of the Riviera which was the capital city of Sashouk in the 11th century. At the beginning of the 10th Century, the tribal leader called sashouk established the dynasty that was named after him. His descendants conquered every more areas gradually progressing to the west. They diligently built jimmies, mattresses, carbon cigar eyes and spas which were decorated with stone works and painted tiles of Arabic origin. Alanya call the sea a fortress which was built at the foot of Taurus Mountain is also a Seldjuk building. The enormous run park with serrated walls and 150 towers was erected in 1220. From the shade of the ancient little houses on top of the mountain, we can see the harbor and the beach but we can also take a glimpse of the surroundings of the entire city and parts of the fortress below. The intimate little Byzantine church is 2600 years old. At the time of the declining at the Western Roman Empire, it was the biggest city of the ancient empire in the south. Constantinople later Byzantine, ruled the political and economical life of the area. Contrary to Rome, it could resist conquering people who came with the waves of migration for more than a thousand years. The authority of Byzantine and Christianity lasted until 1071 when Asian Minor was flooded by Arabic and Turk peoples. Followers of the prophet Mohammad though did not destroy the sacred places of those who had another faith. So we’re able to admire them today as well. The huge water tank and water system built at the same time as the fortress are proof of profound engineering skills. The 35 meter high bulky, octagonal red tower which was named after its building material Red Sandstone stands at the southern corner of the harbor. Each side is 12 meters thick. Beside it, the naval base and the arched walls of the dockyard built in 1227 can be seen. All of the tunnel-like gaps built of ashler are eight meters wide so bigger ships could also be towed here for repair. Today, it’s used as a dry dock. Lively, colorful beaches are often to be found at the foot of old fortresses and town halls. Characteristic, flat builds, wide ships sail from here with protective canvas to shield travelers from the ferocious sand. These are called phomus [ph] to be found everywhere across the country. They’re also called garret and used especially as pleasure boats for carrying passengers. As from almost every harbor of the Turkish coast courses this from Alanya too which under one hand provide beautiful spots that can be seen only from the sea. On the other hand, take us to calm, quiet base which offer perfect bathing opportunities. These journeys are called blue courses and they’re so popular than in peak season, you can hardly move in the harbor due to the number of ships and boats. Fortunately, the water is not so crowded. The coastline is extremely structured and then the area of little bays, lagoons and islands, everyone can find untouched places. Experienced boatmen know just where to take travelers who want to swim, dive and take photographs. For the pleasure of tourists, but rather for their own, a lot of people throw themselves into sea from the wedges of rocks. This habit is very common at beaches from Acapulco to Croatia and Pelio Costa at the end of Corfu It’s not a completely safe but certainly a very spectacular sport. Despite rapidly growing tourism, coastal waters are clean and present a color scale from bright turquoise to ultra marine blue. This coastline of the Mediterranean Sea is called "akdeniz" or White Sea by the locals. Numerous species of wildlife live here, from sea turtles, cattle fish and crabs to dolphins when the hope of some food follow tourists boats in swarms. The romantic dinner onboard awaits tourists who’ve tired of all those swimming and sports activities. Chicken or fish cut during the day are grilled over coals and served with fresh salad and of course with local white wine. Some kind of musical instrument can also emerge and atmospheric lighting is given by the setting sun about the sea. The sea tourist sites that are farther away from the coast, we can hire a car. However a jeep with a driver who knows the area well and can be our guide is even better. Along the Alara River, we can visit an old caravan ride and an ancient castle built on a rock. Caravanserai is a characteristic building type of the eastern world. Travelers, wonderers and traders could stop here for the night. They could also eat and even feed and tie their animals up in the stable. In other words, it was like a post house or a modern motel. In the area of the former Caravanserai, travelers of these days can try the ancestor’s means of transport, the camel. They don’t look at the animal with less amazement than a medieval trader would look at our present day course. Not to mention the fact that camels wear fashionable caps and shauls today.