Alanya (Turkish: Alanya), known as Alayya until 1935, is a district and city in the Antalya province (region) of Turkey. It is a well-known holiday destination with a well-developed service and entertainment infrastructure. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, 138 km from Antalya.
Founded by Greek colonists in the second century BC, the city served as a haven for smugglers and pirates during the Roman era. Ancient Alanya, also known as Karakession and Kalonoros (meaning "beautiful mountain" in Greek), was once a haven for pirates. They terrified all Mediterranean merchant shipping and conducted a brisk slave trade, the main organizers of which, admittedly, were large Roman landowners.
The Roman Senate armed Pompey with a fleet of 120,000 soldiers, who spent almost two months clearing the entire "mare nostrum" (our sea) of pirates.
The decisive battle with the sea pirates who had retreated east took place before Coracesion in 67 BC. Mark Antony then gifted the city and all of Cilicia to Cleopatra, who used the local cedar forests for shipbuilding. Then began the city"s nearly thousand-year history as part of the Byzantine Empire.
In the 7th century, the city fell into decline due to Arab raids.
In the 13th century, the city was captured by the Seljuks and renamed "Alaye" in honor of the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Kayqubad. During his reign, the Red Tower was built, as well as a significant portion of the fortress. From 1293 to 1471, Alaye (Alanya) was the center of the independent Beylik of Karamanoğullar. Due to its proximity to the Seljuk capital of Konya, Alaye surpassed Antalya as a trading and military port. In 1571, the city fell to the Ottomans and became the winter residence of Sultan Selim II. Warships were built for the Ottoman conquerors in the city"s shipyards, which sailed the Mediterranean.
In 1912, the city and region were inhabited by: Turks – 32,854 people, Greeks – 6,500 people.
Thanks to the warm Mediterranean Sea and the Taurus Mountains, which protect it from the cold northern winds, Alanya is the warmest large city in Turkey. The average annual temperature is 20°C (for comparison, the average annual temperature in Antalya is 17°C, Sochi 14°C, and Nice 16°C). Alanya has a subtropical Mediterranean climate. Winters are very rainy, and summers are very hot and long. As in Alanya, humidity is quite high, hovering around 60-65% year-round. The warmest month is August; precipitation is rare in summer. Thanks to the very warm climate, Alanya can cultivate plants that grow wild in subequatorial and even equatorial climates.
Alanya is an ancient city with a centuries-old history, and is also well-known and beloved by Russian tourists. The surrounding area boasts numerous hotels of all star ratings, a large sports complex, several beaches, and numerous attractions.
The agreement on establishing sister city relations between Murmansk and Alanya was signed on February 17, 2014.
Link to the official website of the city of Alanya – https://www.alanya.bel.tr/
