In Alanya Castle, which was built in the Hellenistic period and rebuilt by the Seljuks who conquered the city in 1221, the harsh winter this year and the waves it created on the beach in front of the Kızılkule led to an interesting discovery. Excavation Director Prof. Dr. Osman Eravşar said, “We had a harsh winter this year and the waves revealed a lucky data. In front of Kızılkule, there is a shipyard from the Roman period, a ship dock, a ship dock under the moss. sand dunes were unearthed.”
In the Alanya district of Antalya, on the peninsula rising 250 meters from the sea, 83 towers and 140 bastions, 6.5 kilometers long iconic historical monuments of the city and Seljuk monuments such as Kızılkule, Tophane Bastion and Shipyard are being transported from Antalya to Antalya. 2 very important historical discoveries were made in Alanya Castle, which is home to Hellenistic period, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and Ottoman civilizations.
THIS EXCAVATION SEASON IS ENDING
Alanya Castle Excavation Director Akdeniz University Faculty of Letters Prof. Dr. Osman Eravşar, stating that the 2022 excavation season is about to end, said that this year they mainly work in the arasta region, the sea-port side and briefly İçkale. prof. Dr. Eravşar stated that they obtained the data of the original plan scheme in the demolished arasta and said, “It is ready for restoration work.” said.
INTERESTING DISCOVERY BY THE SEA
Explaining that there was a ‘very interesting discovery’ in the sea, Prof. Dr. Osman Eravşar said, “The Port of Alanya stands out with its Seljuk period character and is one of the two shipyards of the Seljuk period that has survived. There is a shipyard built in 1231 during the reign of Alaeddin Keykubad, and there are two towers protecting the harbor on the sea side. One of these towers is known as Kızılkule and the other Tophane Bastion. ” aforementioned.
Stating that when they looked at the history of the city, they knew that Rome was an advanced garrison, especially after the struggle against pirates during the Roman Empire. Dr. Eravşar said, “Again, the element that made Alanya important in the Middle Ages in historical times is the cedar tree, especially in the mountains around Alanya. Cedar wood is extremely important and necessary for shipbuilding. It is building the great magnificent structure. The shipyard, because it is a material suitable for shipbuilding,” he said.
While the situation regarding the shipyard, which states that the suitable material is cedar wood, should have been in the Roman period, no traces were found in the researches carried out until today. Dr. Eravşar described the discovery as follows: “We had a harsh winter this year and the waves revealed a lucky data. The existence of a shipyard, a ship’s pier, which was completely under moss and sand dunes until recent years, emerged from the front. From Kızılkule.”
WHEN THE WATER WAS BORN, IT WAS STAYED IN THE SEA
Assoc. Stating that it was carried out by the team headed by Hakan Öniz, Prof. Dr. Eravşar said, “Of course, there is important data here, today this shipyard is under water, it is a small shipbuilding place, but it is almost the same size as the Seljuk period Alanya Shipyard in terms of size and scale. In other words, the waters of the Mediterranean rose in the Middle Ages and these waters were flooded. “We want to determine the dimensions and architecture of the building by conducting a study on the area where it is located in the coming years. We think it will be an important discovery in this respect,” he said.
“ONLY EXAMPLE IN ANATOLIA”
Pointing out that it is not possible to see this architecture in any other castle in Anatolia today, Prof. Dr. Erşavşar said, “The unique and unmatched example of Anatolia is located within the walls of Alanya Castle today. It is a historical peninsula on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In this context, the values of authenticity are examined. Alanya has many originalities, “One of them will be in terms of defense architecture. . I think that having one of the rare examples of these architectures will bring it to the place it deserves in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.”
