ALANYA
The rapidly expanding modern city of Alanya, 110 km east of Antalya, sprawls
along two broad bays, an elegant, broad-avenued town, which is justifiably
one of Turkey's most popular resorts, with a fine harbour and a peaceful,
unhurried air. The city centre is sliced emphatically in two by a magnificent
250-metre high promontory of sheer red-gold rock jutting out into the Mediterranean
.
On the summit, nearly 7 km of ancient curtain walls with 150 bastions wind
around three turrets, forming the most spectacular and effective fortress
on the Turkish coast. There are dizzying views of the sea on three sides,
and the orchard-covered foothills of the Taurus Mountains behind.
You may notice Turkish visitors throwing pebbles from the summit. Legend
says that condemned prisoners were given the same chance. If they threw
a pebble into the sea (no mean feat), they were set free; if not, they
were hurled immediately to their deaths on the rocks below.
Although the exact foundation date of Alanya is unknown, it traces back to Hellenistic times, when it was named Coracesium, with the Romans, Byzantines, Armenians, Selcuks and Ottomans all taking their turn at power. Pirate chieftain Diototus Tryphon built his fortress on the peak in the 2 nd century BC. This was the last bastion to fall to the fury of the Roman General Pompey in his crusade to wipe out the pirates in 65 BC. Later, Mark Antony presented the land to Cleopatra, who made good use of its fine timber, both to rebuild her fleet and for export.
Damlatas Cave
Just west of the fortress at sea level is the Damlatas Cave or “
Weeping Cave ”, an exquisite grotto with curtains of dripping
stalactites and stalagmites dating back 15,000-20,000 years. It claimed
80 percent success rate in curing respiratory ailments, especially asthma,
is apparently due to the atmosphere: 90-100 percent humidity, constant
temperature of 22-23 degrees C, high levels of carbon dioxide, natural
ionisation and radiation. People come from all over Turkey for this cure,
for which a doctor's certificate is required: four hours per day for 21
days. |
