KORAKESION – ALANYA
Because of the eastern border the today’s Alanya is to the region Antalya in the midst of on a close coastal strip, which was northward formed by the Taurusgebirge arc-shaped from the coast. On the right of and left it is surrounded by beaches. The first settlement established on steep, 250 m high and 800 m broad peninsula; later it vergröberte itself up to the beginning of the beach lain east. Today the area ranks among one of the most important tourism centers of Turkey, and the surrounding countryside is with numerous fields of banana and Zitrusfrüchtebäumen bewachsen. The earlier name of the city in luwischer/etruskischer language was Korakassa or Karakassa, which meant “city with projection/lead”. In the Hellenistic language this name transformed to Korakesion. 1221 besieged the Turkish Sultan seldschukischer origin Alaaddin Keykubat the castle of Korakesion and required subjecting the city. But the number of Turkish Krieger amounted to only a fifth of the urban population. Thereupon the Sultan communicated that if the city does not result, it with an armed force of 100.000 men attacks and the city in debris and ashes will put. It gave a certain considering time to the king of Korakesion and the city administration. At the night of the last daily of this considering time the Turks in the darkness of the night before the Stadtmauer met and to thousands and thousands and thousands of Ziegenköpfe torches/flares had fastened. The king of Korakesion and the city administration had to now think that the Turkish army with very rough Kraft would attack, and they handed the city over to the Turks. Thus the Turkish Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat had made one the most interesting Bluffs in whole history. From hititischen inscriptions it follows that there was another in the area of the today’s city with names Karkisa, and one assumes that the roots of its population lay in the area of the former Kawana, which was in the southwest range of the today’s province Konya. The ancient trade route, which led from the internal Anatolien across Kawana to the Mediterranean, ran along a river valley to the south and ended in Korakesion, was long used thousands of years. In the Persian and Hellenistic epochs castle cities were strategically very useful, therefore one military garrison each was furnished there, and thus the castles took military forms. In the 2nd Jhd. v. Chr. a power vacuum at the Mediterranean prevailed, and the city fell into the hands of Piraten under the guidance of Diodotos Tryphon. In this time the Piraten established different buildings in the city castle, everything in front a lock, and the city began to grow beyond the castle borders. 68 v. Chr. the Romans provided for the final end of the Piraterie at the Mediterranean coast, and a Roman, garrison tied up to the province Pamphylien referred the castle. The actual development of the city took place in Byzantine time, when the castle had attained again a special meaning. You were added differently rough Basiliken and chapels, the Burgmauern were extended and built on the castle mountain a new, rough palace building. In this time the city in Kalonoros with the meaning “beautiful mountain” was renamed. In memories of Sultan Alaaddin the wurfe name of the 1221 of the Turks conquered city different into Alaiye converted, and, Turkish seldschukische architecture reflecting buildings were added. The internal castle on the highest point of the peninsula was 180 m long and by walls surrounded. These ran in east-west direction, at different times were vergröbert and reached an overall length of 6 km. On the Burgmauern were 80 towers and 150 bulwarks. The palace, whose remnants on the right side are to be seen equal behind the entrance, was built probably two-story and from crushed stone stones. If one goes from here toward the north, one sees square, 6 x 6 m a rough Byzantine chapel, whose dome and Fresken on the inner walls, established over the four walls, are noteworthy. From here one comes to directly at the castle interior wall lain, square garrison buildings and same behind it to the former weapon camp. Westward a steep abyss continues to be, from which to death condemned prisoners became to gestoben in the sea. On its west side the peninsula a long, band-shaped extension, which drops steeply in the sea, forms 400 m. This was called Cilvarda. Here an awake tower from seldschukischer time and a small Byzantine chapel were. Within the interior castle there were cisterns of different Gröbe, which were used for collecting rain water. In the east of the castle that stands today as landmark of Alanya valid, 1227 of the Turks built, octagonal and dreistöckige Kızıl Kule (“red tower”), in whose first two floors different rooms, Speisesaal and sleep area resound themselves and in its third stick upward an open with rough cistern found. The tower is 33 m highly, has a diameter of 29 m and with red stone blocks was built, from which it received also its name. The Kızıl tower had the task to protect the port. Somewhat further directly at the sea was the square throwing building. Its front had five sheets, by which ships fit, and was 60 m long.
Those threw at the same time as the Kızıl tower one established, and on their south side was a square awake tower. Because of the west slope far away from the sea the 18 m deep Damlataş cave is to the peninsula and 70 m, from which the scientists assume that them were formed in 15,000 years. This on the western side of the peninsula of Alanya, at the beach and in the midst of a stone slope lying cave 1948 were coincidentally discovered. From geological view it resulted to rich Oberflächenwasser from half marble, which is typical for the Alanya separated from the Taurusgebirge by a rock column system massif and arises within the metamorphic Kalkgesteins, further by tectonic factors, rock columns and fragment systems, which are in weibem marble, from movement of the sea waves and the chemical dissolution of carbon dioxide (CO2). The circular Damlataş cave has a diameter of 10 m and is in its highest place 15 m highly. Their interior is full beautiful Stalaktiten and Stalagmiten. In the part behind the entrance up to the cylindrical cavity numerous columns formed, by Stalaktiten and Stalagmiten meet one another. Over 45 m a long passage, which stretches itself to a cylindrical cavity, one can descend over stairs from the cave ground to the beach. In the cave seats are set up, on which many humans inhale four hours long the air of the cave and with it welfare-end effect obtain. The air, in which carbon dioxide, nitrogen and radioactivity are contained, is to work well against diseases such as asthma and bronchitis. It has constantly 22 degrees. Because of the northeast tendency of the castle hill is the Alaaddin mosque, by which it is accepted that her in 16. Jhd. n. Chr. one established. It has three by four columns supported domes and from red bricks was built. The internal window wings of the mosque show most beautiful examples of wood-working on arts and crafts. On the eastern side of the mosque length and 13 m broad the closed Bedesten market on 35 m, which exhibited 26 square areas and a roughbrisk camp, are. The museum equal beside the Damlataş cave was opened 1967. Here there is four closed showrooms and a free air surface, where archaeological and ethnographische works are shown. The most important piece is a bronze statue of Herakles. Today Alanya with its outstanding beaches and tourist plants is a centre for the international tourism. Yachting port, restaurant around the old Alanya, shopping centres and boat trips to sea caves with names such as Fosforlu (“phosphorescing”) or Aşıklar (“loving”) impress the tourists. Further on the Dim river Raftingfahrten are organised. In the restaurants at the river bank also in the water under tent roofs set up tables one can eat typical Turkish meals and fish courts. Jeep safaris are organised to the Gedevet and Türbelinas Almen in the Taurusgebirge. The Çayarası Alm is the hunting ground for the local population. The Dim cave was investigated from 1986 to 1989, and an electrification project in it was implemented. The cave is appropriate for approximately 13 km toward Gazipaşa far away from Alanya. The cave formed over a rock column toward from northwest to southeast within permischem, dolomitischem, crystallised and half marble-like Kalkgestein. The entrance to the cave is 215 m over the sea level. Those altogether 350 m long cave with its wonderful Stalaktiten and Stalagmiten stands under nature protection. In the cave there is a sight worth seeing, which reminds of a frozen Wasserfall. The Dim cave is still in a fossil stage and ranks in regard to biological research among one of the important caves in the area Antalya.
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