Kızıl Kule

The Red Tower (Kızıl Kule) was built in 1226 by order of the Seljuk Sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I. The main architect of the tower was Ebu Ali Reha from Aleppo. It is one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture and the best-preserved Seljuk building in Alanya. The tower is 33 meters high and has a diameter of 29 meters. The tower has five stories and 85 steps leading to the top. The Red Tower played a key role in the defense of the city, protecting the harbor and the nearby shipyard from sea attacks. In peacetime, the tower housed a garrison of a commander and forty soldiers. For many centuries, the tower was used exclusively for military purposes, but in the 20th century, it was transformed into a tourist attraction. In 1979, the Ethnographic Museum of Alanya was opened in the tower, showcasing artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods.