Jump to content

Alanya

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 69.125.210.7 (talk) at 22:05, 14 July 2007 (→History). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:Infobox town TR

Alanya is a seaside resort and district of Antalya Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, 120 km (74.6 miles) from the city of Antalya. The district has close to 400,000 inhabitants.[1]

Because of its natural strategic position on a small peninsula into the Mediterranean Sea, Alanya has been a local stronghold for many Mediterranean based empires. Alanya's greatest political importance came in the Middle Ages with the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm under the rule of `Ala' ad-Din Kay-Qubad. The relatively moderate Mediterranean climate, and historic heritage makes Alanya a popular destination for holidaymakers, responsible for 9% of all tourism in Turkey.[2]

Names

The city has changed hands many times over the centuries, and its name has reflected this. Alanya was first known in Latin as Coracesium or in Greek as Korakesion from the Luwian Korakassa meaning "point/protruding city." Under the Byzantine Empire it become known as Kalonoros, or "beautiful mountain." The Seljuks renamed the city Alaiye (علاعية), a derivative of the name of the Sultan `Ala' ad-Din Kay-Qubad. In his 1935 visit, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk finalized the name in the new alphabet as Alanya, changing the 'i' and 'e' in Alaiye, reportedly because of a misspelled telegram two years prior.[3]

History

Piri Reis map of Alanya from 1525
Byzantine era church built inside Alanya Castle

Though first fortified in the Hellenistic period following the area's conquest by Alexander the Great, the castle rock was likely inhabited long before that under the Hittites and the Persian Empire. Finds in the nearby Kadrini cave indicate occupation during the Paleolithic era as far back as 20,000 BC.[4] Left to Ptolemy I Soter after 323 BC, his dynasty maintained loose control over the mainly Isaurian population, and the area became a popular spot for Mediterranean pirates who were at times loyal to Diodotus Tryphon of the Seleucid kingdom.[5] This period ended after the city's incorporation into the Pamphylia province of the Roman Republic by Pompey in 67 BC with the Battle of Korakesion fought in the city's harbor.[6] After the Empire's collapse and split, the city remained under Byzantine influence, becoming a suffragan of Side, in the metropolis of Pamphylia Prima.[7] Muslims began arriving in the 7th century, and 681 marked the end of a bishopric in Alanya. The area fell from Byzantine control after the Battle of Manzikert to tribes of Seljuk Turks, only to be returned in 1097 by Alexios I Komnenos and forces of the First Crusade.

Following the Crusades, the Christian Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia periodically held the port, and it was from an Armenian, Kir Fard, that Muslims took lasting control in 1221 when the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan `Ala' ad-Din Kay-Qubad exchanged governance of the city of Aksehir for it.[8] Seljuk rule saw the golden age of the city, and it can be considered the winter capital of their empire.[9] Building projects, including the twin citadel, city walls, arsenal, and Red Tower made it an important seaport for western Mediterranean trade, particularly with Ayyubid Egypt and the Italian city-states.[10] Kay-Qubad also constructed numerous gardens and pavilions outside the walls, and many of his works can still be found in the city.

At the Battle of Köse Dag, the Mongol hordes broke the Seljuk hegemony in Anatolia, and Alanya was then subject to a series of invasions from Anatolian Turkish Beyliks, and even from Lusignans from the Cyprus, who overturned the Hamidoglu Beylik.[11] The city was sold by the then ruling Karamanoğlu dynasty in 1427 to the Mamluks of Egypt for a period before the general Gedik Ahmed Pasha in 1471 incorporated it into the growing Ottoman Empire. In 1571 the city was desinated part of the province of Cyprus, then later under Konya, and in 1868 under Antalya, as it is today. After World War I, Alanya was partitioned in the Agreement of St.-Jean-de-Maurienne to Italy, if only nominally.[12] Like most in this region, the city suffered heavily following the war and the population exchanges that heralded the Turkish Republic, when many of the city's Christians resettled in Nea Ionia, outside Athens. The Ottoman census of 1893 had put the number of Greeks in the city at 964.[13]

Tourism in the region started among Turks who came to Alanya in the 1960s for the alleged healing properties of Damlataş cave, and later the access provided by Antalya Airport allowed the town to grow into an international resort. Strong population growth through the 1990s was a result of immigration to the city, and has driven a rapid modernization of the infrastructure.

Geography

Tip of Alanya Peninsula

Located on the Gulf of Antalya on the Anatolian coastal plain of Pamphylia, the town is between the Taurus Mountains to the north and the Mediterranean Sea, and is part of the Turkish riviera, occupying roughly 43.5 miles (70 km) of coastline.[2] The Pamphylia plain between the sea and the mountains is an isolated example of Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forests.[14] The town is divided by a rocky peninsula which is perhaps the most distinctive feature of the city. The harbor and Keykubat beach, named for Sultan Kay-Qubad, are on the east side of the peninsula, and Damlataş beach, named for the famous "dripping caves," and Cleopatra beach are to the west. Legend and locals claim the name Cleopatra Beach in Alanya derives from either the Ptolemaic princess' visit here or the area's inclusion in her dowry from Mark Antony. Regardless, the area was indeed under some Egyptian hegemony in the early centuries BC.

Atatürk Bulvarı (Boulevard), runs parallel to the sea, and divides the southern, much more touristic side of Alanya from the northern, more native side, that extends north into the mountains. Çevre Yolu Caddesi circles the main town to the north.

Climate

Though promoting itself as "where the sun smiles," Alanya has a relatively moderate continental Mediterranean climate. The Mediterranean Basin ensures that most rain comes during the winter, leaving the summers long, hot, and dry. Storm cells sometime bring with them fair weather waterspouts when close to the shore. The presence of the Taurus Mountain in close proximity to the sea causes fog many mornings, in turn creating visible rainbows many days. The height of the mountains creates an interesting effect as snow can often be seen on them even on hot days in the city below.

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 59
(15) 		60
(16) 		62
(17) 		68
(20) 		75
(24) 		80
(27) 		86
(30) 		87
(31) 		84
(29) 		77
(25) 		69
(21) 		62
(17)
71
(22)
Average low °F (°C) 44
(7) 		44
(7) 		48
(9) 		51
(11) 		59
(15) 		64
(18) 		69
(21) 		69
(21) 		66
(19) 		59
(15) 		53
(12) 		48
(9)
55
(13)
Rainfall in. (mm) 8.9
(22.7) 		6.8
(17.2) 		4.2
(10.6) 		2.5
(6.4) 		1.4
(3.6) 		0.3
(0.8) 		0.1
(0.3) 		0.2
(0.5) 		0.4
(1) 		3.2
(8) 		6.7
(17.1) 		8.8
(22.4)
43.5
(1105)
Source: Weatherbase

Places of interest

Architecture

Seljuk era Tersane

On the peninsula stands Alanya Kale (Castle), a Seljuk era citadel dating from 1226. Most major landmarks in the city are found inside and around the castle. The current castle was built over existing fortifications and served the double purpose of a palace of local government and as a defensive structure in case of attack. The city is currently renovating various sections of the castle area, including a Byzantine church, which is intended to be used for a Christian community center.[15] Inside the castle is the Süleymaniye mosque and caravanserai, built by Suleiman the Magnificent. The old city walls surround much of the eastern peninsula, and can be walked. Inside the walls are numerous historic villas, well preserved examples of the classical period of Ottoman architecture, most built in the early 19th century.

The Kızıl Kule (Red Tower) is another well-known building in Alanya. The 33 meter high brick building stands at the harbor below the castle, and contains the municipal ethnographic museum. Sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I brought the accomplished architect Ebu Ali from Aleppo, Syria to Alanya to design the building.[16] The last of Alanya Castle's 83 towers, the octagonal structure specifically protected the Tersane (arsenal), it remains one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture.

The Tersane, a medieval drydock built by the Seljuk Turks in 1221, 187 by 131 feet, is divided into five vaulted bays with equilateral pointed arches. Atatürk's House and Museum, from his short stay in the city on February 18, 1935 is preserved in its historic state and is a good example of the interior of a traditional Ottoman villa, with artifacts from the 1930s. The house was built between 1880 and 1885 in the "karniyarik" (stuffed eggplant) style. Bright colors and red roofs are often mandated by neighborhood councils, and give the modern town a pastel glow. Housed in a more Republican era building, an archaeology museum is inland from Damlataşh beach, and home to classical pieces found in and around the city as well as historic copies of the Qur'an. With its rich architectural heritage, Alanya is a member of the Norwich-based European Association of Historic Towns and Regions.[17]

Natural attractions

Apart from the beach and the sea of course there are a number of caves of interest to visitors; the Pirates Cave, once used as a refuge by gentlemen of that profession; the underwater Lover's cave; and the Phosphorus cave. These can be visited by boat from Alanya.

Demographics

Panorama from west side of peninsula

From only 87,080 in 1985, the district has surged to currently hold a population of 384,949. The city itself has a population of 134,396, of which 9,789 are European, about half of them from Germany and Denmark.[18] The European population tends to be over 50 years old.[19] During the summer the population increases due to large numbers of tourists, about 1.1 million each year pass through the city.[2] Both Turks and Europeans, these vacationers provide income for much of the population. The city includes many migrants from the Southeastern Anatolia Region, people of Kurdish, Turkish, and Armenian heritages. In the 2000s, the town has seen a surge in illegal foreign immigrants from the Middle East and South Asia, both to stay and to attempt to enter European Union countries.[20] Currently 1,217 migrants claim residence in Alanya while working abroad.[21]

The town is near 99% Muslim, and although many ancient churches can be found in the city, there are no regular Christian services. In 2006, a German language protestant church with seasonal service opened with much fanfare, after receiving permission to do so in 2003, a sign of the growing European population in the city.[22] Israeli tourists, often from cruise ships, constitute the Jewish population. These are sometime the targets of discrimination, particularly at times of high tension, such as the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, when a shopkeeper denied Israelis entry.[23]

Education

The city boasts 95% literacy, with public, private, and Imam Hatip schools, and a roughly 1:24 student-teacher ratio.[2] There remains however a limited number of secondary schools outside of the city center, disadvantaging the rural villages. In 2005, Akdeniz University of Antalya launched the Alanya Faculty of Business, as a satellite campus which focuses on the tourism industry.[24] Georgetown University operates an annual study abroad program for American students known as the McGhee Center, named for the United States Ambassador to Turkey from 1952-1953 George C. McGhee, and based in his villa.[25]

Government

MP Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (AKP)

Alanya was set up as a municipality in 1872, electing its first mayor in 1901. Today, Alanya is governed by a mayor and a municipality council made up of twenty-five members; thirteen are from the centre-right Motherland Party, which has maintained local loyalty despite its national disintegration, six members are of the current government's Justice and Development Party, three members of the centre-left Republican People's Party, two of the other centre-right True Path Party, and one independent. Mayor Hasan Sipahioğlu is also of the Motherland Party. Elections are held every five years, with the next to be held in 2009.

Just as the province is divided up into districts, the Alanya District is divided up into 17 municipalities, including the city center, and 92 villages.[1] Alanya is greatly influenced by the provincial government in Antalya, and the federal government in Ankara, which appoints a governor for the district, currently Dr. Hulusi Doğan. Though Alanya has been part of Antalya Province since the Ottoman Empire, an Alanya Province has been a goal of many local politicians. Nationally, in the 2002 election, the province voted with the Republican People's Party, who were followed closely by both the Justice and Development Party and the True Path Party. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, of the Justice and Development Party, is the only native Alanyalilar Member of Parliament representing Antalya Province in the Grand National Assembly, where he chairs the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population.

Economy

The tourist industry here is worth just under 1.1 billion euros, and is therefore the principal industry.[2] The area is further known for its many fruit farms, particularly lemons and oranges, and large harvests of tomatoes, bananas and cucumbers. Despite the location, few residents make their living on the sea, and fishing is not a major industry.

Tourism

Shop lined Keykubat Caddesi

Since the first modern motel was built in 1958, considered the first year of the tourist industry in Alanya,[26] hotels have raced to accommodate the influx of tourists, and the city now claims 133,361 hotel beds.[2] Damlataş cave, which originally sparked the arrival of outsiders because of the cave's microclimate, with an average temperature of 72 °F (22 °C) and 95% humidity, is accessible on the west side of the peninsula with trails from Damlataş beach.[27] Many tourists, especially Scandinavians, Germans, Russians, and Dutch, now regularly vacation in Alanya during the warmer months.[28] They are drawn to the area because of reasonable prices, warm weather, sandy beaches, access to Antalya's historic sites, and fine cuisine. As well as Damlataş there a number of other caves and places of natural beauty. Activities include wind surfing, parasailing, banana boating and Turkey's largest go-kart track.

Beginning in 2003, with the provisional elimination of restrictions on land purchases by non-nationals, the housing industry in the city has become highly profitable with many new private homes and condominiums being built for European and Asian part-time residents. This in turn has put pressure on the city's many gecekondu houses and establishments as property values rise. A height restriction in the city keeps high rise hotels to the east and west of the city, preserving the central skyline at the expense of greater tourist potential. The fringes of the city however have seen uncontrolled expansion.

For various reasons, the 2006 tourist season was disappointing for Alanya's industry. Among the reasons blamed were increased PKK violence, the H5N1 bird flu found in Van, and the Mohammad cartoon controversy.[29] Alanya officials responded with a variety of publicity iniatives, including baking the worlds longest cake on 2006-04-26, now a Guinness World Record.[30]

Media

Alanya has ten local daily newspapers.[2] The most prominent of these is Yeni Alanya, which also delivers the news and lifestyles magazine Orange as a subset which they provide in both English and German as well as the regular Turkish edition. Two native German language newspapers are published in Alanya, the Aktuelle Türkei Rundschau and Alanya Bote for the community of German speaking residents and visitors. A monthly magazine Hello Alanya published in Alanya for foreigners, appearing in English and Dutch language.[31] There is also a free regional newspaper called Riviera News which is printed in English and is widely available in Alanya.

Transportation

The D400 Turkish Highway connects Alanya from the east and west, and runs through the city center as Atatürk Bulvarı. Antalya Airport is 75 miles (120 km) away. There are bus and dolmuş systems out of Alanya's two bus depots, but buses are usually limited to the major roads, and inside the city transportation is by car, taxi, or foot, as many roads in the old town are closed to traffic. The harbor includes cruise ship piers, and also seasonal ferries and hydrofoils depart for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Sports

Womens teams in the 2006 beach volleyball tournament

Alanya is home to a woman's basketball team, Alanya Belediye, which started in the first division but was relegated after the 2002 season. The city hosts a second level soccer team, Alanyaspor, though soccer fans in the city are mostly divided between the three major Istanbul teams. The city is currently constructing a new soccer facility with the intention of hosting winter competitions between major teams.[32]

Alanya is perhaps more famous for the annual triathlon held every October,[33] and for the city's role as host of The Turkish Open, part of the Nestea European Beach Volleyball championship tour, which takes place in May.[34] The city is also a frequent host to national events, such as the annual beach handball tournament,[35] and the finish of the seven day Presidency Cycling Tour of Turkey.[36]

Logo Club Sport League Venue Established
Alanyaspor logo Alanyaspor Football (soccer) Iddaa League B: Group B

Turkish Football Federation

Milli Egemenlik 1948

Sister cities

Since making agreements with Talsi, Trakai, and Keszthely in 2006, Alanya increased its number of sister cities to eight, seven of which are located within the European Union. Previously in 2005 Alanya had applied with Sister Cities International for an additional sister city located in the United States.[37] The most significant tie is with the city of Nea Ionia, where many of Alanya's Christians were resettled in 1923 after the Treaty of Lausanne. Gladbeck, Wodzisław Śląski, Schwechat, Fushun, and Alanya form a "family" in that each is partnered with the others.

Further reading

  • Redford, Scott. Landscape and the state in medieval Anatolia: Seljuk gardens and pavilions of Alanya, Turkey. Oxford: Archaeopress; 2000. ISBN 1-8417-1095-4

References

  1. ^ a b "Nüfusu ve Demografik Boyutları". Alanya municipality. 2002. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Alanya with Numbers". 2004. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
  3. ^ Yetkin, Haşim. "When Atatürk visited Alanya". SunSearch Consulting Ltd. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  4. ^ "The History of Alanya". Ministry of Tourism. Retrieved 2007-05-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  5. ^ "Alanya – Korekesion". Daily Life, Culture, and Ethnography of Antalya. Antalya Valiliği. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  6. ^ de Souza, Philip (1997). "Romans and Pirates in a Late Hellenistic Oracle from Pamphylia". The Classical Quarterly. 47 (2): 479.
  7. ^
    Wikisource has the text of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article Coracesium.
  8. ^ Redford, Scott (1993). "The Seljuqs of Rum and the Antique". Muqarnas. 10: 149–151.
  9. ^ Yavuz, Ayşil Tükel (1997). "The Concepts That Shape Anatolian Seljuq Caravanserais". Muqarnas. 14: 81.
  10. ^ Inalcik, Halil (1960). "Bursa and the Commerce of the Levant". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient. 3 (2): 143–145.
  11. ^ "Hamid Dynasty". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-29. {{cite encyclopedia}}: External link in |encyclopedia= (help)
  12. ^ Helmreich, Paul C. (1976). "Italy and the Anglo-French Repudiation of the 1917 St. Jean de Maurienne Agreement". The Journal of Modern History. 48 (2): 99.
  13. ^ Karpat, Kemal H. (1978). "Ottoman Population Records and the Census of 1881/82-1893". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 9 (3): 271.
  14. ^ World Wildlife Fund (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions". National Geographic. Retrieved 2007-01-04. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Ancient church will be restored". Orange Alanya. 2007-01-28. Retrieved 2007-02-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "Kızıl Kule (Red Tower)". Alanya Cities and Historical Sites. Turkish Class. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  17. ^ "Turkey". Association of Historic Towns of Turkey. European Association of Historic Towns and Regions. Retrieved 2007-01-03. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "Foreign interest in Alanya on the rise". Today's Zaman. 2007-05-01. Retrieved 2007-05-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Yeşil, Ahmet (2007-02-10). "Number of foreigners owning property in Turkey rapidly increasing". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 2007-02-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ Stevens, Kristen (2006-12-19). "Migration matters in globalized Turkey". Turkish Daily News. Retrieved 2007-01-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Coşkun, Yadigar (2006). "Analyzing the Aspects of International Migration in Turkey" (PDF). Migration Research Program at the Koc University. Retrieved 2007-01-27. {{cite news}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ "Church work on the Turkish Riviera". Evangelical Church in Germany. January 2004. Retrieved 2007-02-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ Chason, Miri (2006-08-15). "Turkey: Sign reads 'Israeli murderers keep out'". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2007-01-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ "Alanya İşletme Fakültesi". Akdeniz University. 2006-07-05. Retrieved 2007-01-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |work= (help)
  25. ^ Hasson, Orin (2006). "Welcome to The McGhee Center Online". Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  26. ^ Hakları, Telif (2002). "Belediye Tarihi". Retrieved 2007-01-15.
  27. ^ "Damlataş cave". Retrieved 2007-01-23.
  28. ^ Griffith, Leslie (2007-05-31). "While I wasn't sleeping". The Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-06-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ "Alanya Sees 30% Fall in Scandinavian Tourists". Today's Zaman. 2006-03-03. Retrieved 2007-04-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Guinness Welcomes World's Longest Cake Baked In Turkey". Turkishpress.com. 2007-03-22. Retrieved 2007-04-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ "HelloAlanya.com". June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
  32. ^ "Alanya 15,000-seat, closed-roof stadium to open next year". Today's Zaman. 2007-04-12. Retrieved 2007-04-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ "Alanya Triathlon". 2006-09-28. Retrieved 2007-01-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ "Turkish Open 2005". 2005. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  35. ^ "Beach Handball". Alanya Municipality. 2005-07-19. Retrieved 2007-04-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ "43rd Presidency Cycling Tour starts". Today's Zaman. 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ "Desired Sister Community: General Information". Sister Cities International. Retrieved 2007-01-03. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)


See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alanya.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alanya&oldid=144676561"