GEOGRAPHICAL  LOCATION  OF ALANYA

Alanya is in the east of Antalya which is in the Mediterranean region in Turkey. The distance from Antalya to Alanya is 135 km. Alanya is located on the 36° 30'  07"- 36° 36' 31" north latitude and 31° 38' 40" -32° 32' 02" east longitude.

The rhinoceras  nose of Alanya, a rocky promontory on the sea, identifies it from miles away. Two sandy beaches stretch east and west of the rock and inland the Taurus  Mountains rise to snowy heights.

In the South of the city there is the Mediterranean Sea, in the west Manavgat, in the east Gazipasa and in the North the range of Taurus Mountains and plateaus.The altitude of the plateaus is about 1000 metres. In the South of the city there is Alanya Peninsula surrounded by its 6500 metres long  citadels. The peninsula is separated from the Taurus with the plains. The way from the Taurus to central Anatolia is only possible through Kusyuvasi, Yelköprü, Kocdovat, Dim and Alara valleys. The difficult mountainpass to the Central Anatolia made Alanya a port city. The Red Tower, an orange-coloured octagonal brick tower on the water's edge, was built in 1226 by Sultan Alaettin Keykubat 1 to help in the defenses of the horbour. Nowadays  this tower and harbour are important places of Alanya. Many tourists come to see the historical places every year.

Coming to Alanya is not difficult. You can use either the highways or the airways. Antalya has an international airport and it takes about 2 hours from the airport to Alanya by bus.

The population of Alanya has been increasing since it became a touristic city. It has different population in winter and summer. In winter it is nearly 150 000 but in summer it is 500 000.The city is on the South coast of Turkey, it is a touristic city and it has a warm climate so a lot of people migrate to Alanya.

Mountains and Rivers

The North of the city is surrounded by the Taurus. Some of the mountains are:

 1 - Akdag                     2451 metres

 2 - Gökbel Hill                2301 metres

 3 - Kaplica Hill               2205 metres

 4 - Delikli Mountain         2197 metres

 5 - Yagmurtasi Hill          1937 metres

 6 - Çigdem Mountain       1927 metres

 7 - Beskaklik Mountain     1874 metres

 8 - Karakusak Hill            1841 metres

 9 - Cebelireis Mountain    1649 metres

10 - Sivrice Hill                 389 metres

Some people who live in Alanya spend their summer season in plateaus in theTaurus because the weather in plateaus is cool in summer.

There are a lot of rivers in Alanya. The flow of the rivers decreases in summer because of the hot and dry weather, in winter it increases. Some of the rivers are used for watering the fertile fields. Alara Cayi, Dim Cayi, Oba Cayi, Serapsu and Kargi Cayi are important rivers of Alanya. There are picnic areas near these rivers and they are popular places for the tourists and local people in summer.

The Flora  of Alanya

The area of the city is 175 678 hectares. The city has the most fertile lands in the Mediterranean region because of its suitable climate and location. The main flora is bush. You can see plants like olives, carob, myrtle and santalum. When you climb up the Taurus, you can see red pine, oak trees and cedar trees. Many different kinds of plants are grown in Alanya. Oranges, bananas, lots of vegetables are grown here. You can see eucalyptus trees, avocado and kiwi in the parks and streets. It  is possible to grow every kind of plant in  Alanya and this makes  the city  an agriculture and tourism paradise.

The  Climate of Alanya

The city has the typical Mediterranean climate. It is rainy and humid in winter, hot and dry in summer. In winter  it rains very heavily with thunder. July and August are the hottest months, January and February are the coldest months.     Alanya is a popular city among the people in Europe with its climate,  history,beautiful beaches. You can  sunbathe from April  to November. Alanya has become a tourists' paradise with year-round sun.