Alanya's defining landmark is really two linked monuments from the town's Seljuk golden age. High on the peninsula sits Alanya Castle, a vast fortress that Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I rebuilt after taking the city in 1221; its walls run for roughly six kilometres around the headland, enclosing an inner citadel, a small Ottoman mosque, a covered bazaar, cisterns and cliff-edge terraces with staggering views over both bays. Down at the harbour stands its companion, the Kızıl Kule or Red Tower, a striking octagonal tower of red brick finished in 1226 to guard the port and the shipyard below; five floors climb to a rooftop lookout, and it appears on the town's own emblem. You can drive or take the cable car up toward the castle quarter and walk the old lanes back down. Come late in the day when the heat eases and the sunset lights the walls, carry water, as shade is scarce up top, and wear proper shoes for the cobbles.
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