Travel attractions and holiday guides in Alanya from tourmoni.com: If you’re looking for a mix of beach time and history, the resort town of Side Belek is one of the best places to visit on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Side Kemer may be all about soaking up the sun on the sand but for those who fancy a slice of culture with their sunbathing, the wealth of Greco-Roman ruins right in town are major tourist attractions. By 1000 BC Side Kemer, had its first settlement but it was in the 7th or 6th centuries BC, when Greek settlers established a colony and built a harbor here, that the town began to prosper. During the Roman era, this town became an important commercial center, and it was only when the harbor began to silt up in the 7th century that the town was eventually abandoned. At the tip of Side Kemer’s peninsula are the remains of the ancient town’s two principal temples, dedicated to Athena and Apollo. Although they are in no way complete, they have a dramatic location looking out over the Mediterranean and are especially atmospheric in the evening, when the ruins are lit up. Side Kemer harbor is a great place for a sunset promenade, with plenty of cafés dotting the shoreline near the ruins. Discover more info at Side excursions.

Laodicea is located right across the ancient city of Hierapolis. It was once a trade city which was known with glossy black wool and eye salve trade. Mentioned in the Book of Revelation as the luke warm city. Recently Turkish archaeologists excavated a church dating to the time of Constantine. This is thought to be one of the earliest churches of the world. This site is recommended for biblical history lovers. Aphrodisias is 3 hours drive from Kusadasi town. Aphrodisias is derived from the goddess named as Aphrodite, the goddess of love. An artisan city known with sculpturors who made sculptures and sarcaphaguses with the local white marble. You can see the best examples of marble works in this city. The site has the most well preserved ancient stadium in the world which has a capacity of 30.000 people. The huge pool at the south agora is breathtaking.

Jeep-Safaris are among the most popular tours in Antalya. Alanya is the Jeep Safari city in Turkey. There are more than five different tours available: Oba Çay Jeep, Sapadere Jeep, Dimçay Jeep, Taurus Mountains Jeep, and Jeep with Rafting… In add addition to the adventurous and fun part of safari, you’ll get to know the marvelous nature in the region. Let’s take a break from the hot beach and go somewhere that looks like a beach, but is more refreshing. Here is a place that gives you the opportunity to chill while spending a nice time playing or just enjoying nature and artificial pools. How does that sound? Dim River is one of the most visited natural beauties in Alanya with its refreshing air and water in all seasons. It is located 15 kms from Alanya and accessible by different paths.

The Damlataş Cave is a 15,000 year old natural formation and is one of the mysterious beauties in Alanya located in the very center of the town just below the Alanya Castle. The cave is fascinatingly beautiful with its very impressive illuminated stalactites and stalagmites. It has a constant temperature around 22-23 degrees. The section, which has wide columns with stalactites and stalagmites, is 13/14 meters wide and 15 meters high. Both Damlataş and Cleopatra Beaches are blue flag beaches, located side by side on the west side of the historical peninsula. Damlataş Beach is on the shore in front of Damlataş Cave. As the name suggests, Cleopatra Beach is famous because of the legend that Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra and Roman Emperor, Antonius are said to have swam here.

Terrace Houses have gone down in history as a neighborhood located in the heart of Ephesus and appealing to the elite part of the city. Although there are no civilian residential areas in the center of ancient cities, Terrace Houses in Ephesus were an exception. The foundation of the Terrace Houses was laid in the 3rd century BC. After Ephesus became the capital of Asia, the neighborhood started to experience its brightest days (between the 1st and 3rd centuries AC). The most elite part of the city lived in the houses, so each residence was 400-950 square meters in size. The floors of the houses were decorated with mosaics and frescoes on the walls.

When the Seljuk’s took control of this region in the 13th century, they built on the foundations of previous rulers. Much of the remaining building works still standing today in the castle area date from this period, when Alanya became a commercial hub. The lower castle area, nearest to the entrance gate, is known as the Ehmedek neighborhood. Wander the alleyways of red-roofed Ottoman-era houses and historical buildings here, then follow the winding lanes up to the Iç Kale (the castle’s inner fortress) for older Seljuk and Byzantine ruins plus views that soar across the sea, the coastal plateau, and the peaks of the Taurus Mountains beyond. Read additional details at https://www.tourmoni.com/.

The city’s steep peninsula, protected on three sides by the Mediterranean, is topped by a 13th-century castle with 6.5 kilometres of fortified walls. This rocky mass is a natural defence, and today’s castle was built on earlier Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine enclosures. In all there are 83 towers and 140 towers in the walls, and many of the 1,200 original cisterns continue to fulfil their original role. Alanya Castle is one massive archaeological site that warrants hours of exploration. The starting point has to be the citadel or Kale on the southwest side, where you’ll come to the Byzantine Church of St George, later adapted as a mosque. The north side of the promontory is the scene of the Seljuk Ehmedek Fortress, built on Hellenistic vestiges and holding a military garrison, arsenal and Sultan’s treasury for hundreds of years. Here you’ll discover countless ruins, together with historic 19th-century houses that went up after the castle had lost its defensive purpose.

Oluk Bridge, Köprülü Canyon: Köprülü Canyon National Park is about 120 kilometers to the north of Alanya. It’s primarily known as one of the best places to visit in the region for rafting trips, which take place on the icy-blue river that winds through the canyon, but for more things to do, the area is also home to Roman ruins and plenty of hiking opportunities. Selge is the main Roman archaeological site in the area. The remnants of this once thriving city of 20,000 sit amid the lonely village of Altınkaya, 11 kilometers northwest of the canyon itself. The large Roman Theater, cut into the hillside and looming over the modern village houses, is well worth a visit here, despite the theater being partially destroyed. In the canyon itself, several tour companies run rafting trips along the Köprü River. The trips traverse the most scenic section of the river, heading under the Roman-built Oluk Bridge, which dates back to the 2nd century. The canyon is 14 kilometers long, with its walls soaring up to 400 meters high in places.

To those in the know, the best panorama in Alanya can be had from this belvedere in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains. By car or cab you can get up to the Seyir Terasi in under 15 minutes, and once you’re there you may not want to leave. From this leafy vantage point you’ve got the best view of the castle’s peninsula, the tessellated white blocks of modern Alanya, as well as the harbour and the aqua-blue expanse of the Mediterranean. There’s a telescope on the terrace and a cafe-restaurant above, and in the evening families will come to the park to light barbecues. Of the many views to cherish in Alanya, some of the very best are from the water. On a cruise departing the old harbour, you’ll see the castle, shipyard, Kızılkule and the Taurus Mountains through the eyes of a Medieval sailor. The coastline in the Antalya Province is also fabulous, and there are three sets of caves within a short sail Alanya. Occasionally on this six-hour voyage the boat will drop anchor and you can lie back on deck or plunge into the cool turquoise sea. Cold drinks are provided and there’s also a barbecued lunch on board.