Alanya / Turkey

(Coracesium-Kolonoros-Alaiye)

The inhabitancy of Alanya goes back to the dark ages. This was proved by the explorations and investigations carried out by Prof. Kylyc Kokten in 1957 who found human skeletons and fossils in the Kadiini Cave located between the villages of Bademagacy and Oba in the northeast directions of the center of the province.

Alanya, which has such a rich and deep historical inheritance, sometimes became a part of Kilikia and sometimes was a part of Pamphylia. Heredot the father of history writes about this region "It is known that the people that lived in this region received clans that came after the Troy war (1820 B.C.)". Evidence is seen that the Hittites came here in the first half of the XIV Th. century B.C. and killed about six thousand people and included Kilikia and Pamphylia into their dominion. Pamphylia is a word meaning "multiracial, multikind".

The fertility of the lands, densely populated forests, the unpassable Taurus mountins protecting the coastline from the inland attracted those who came to visit and made them to settle here. I believe in the future we will have to look hard find our Alanian fellowman. Although the whole of Kilikia was invaded by the Great Antiochus in 224-188 B.C. it preserved its independence because of the difficulty encountered in the siege and conquest of Coracesium.

The Coracesium went even further to threaten the Assyrian Kingdom and went on to exercise piracy as an easy way of living. In this period Coracesium retained its independence although it was under the influence of the Greek civilization.

This is endorsed with the finding of objects for example phallus and tear bottles in Syedra where many churches are concentrated. Coracesium became a place of terror in the hands of a pirate leader Tryphon. To protect himself he built a thick wall by using large stones with no cement from the present Arab Evliyasi to Ehmedek.
This notorious pirate leader used the cave presently named Kizlar Yarigi or Korsanlar Magarasi to store the loot. Also according to the rumors he separated the Alanya Castle (Coracesium) as an island by digging a channel between the present Damlatas Cave and the Council House.

They had the courage to sneak into the shores of the Roman Empire a powerful empire of the period, to obtain ransom from the rich, they kidnapped the daughters of the known personalities and taxed the area. Due to these circumstances no-one could sail into the Mediterranean and therefore the city of Rome was starved of hunger.

With the intention of freeing the people from their problems, this notorious pirate leader was wiped out by the battle proclaimed on him by Anthiochus in 139 B.C.. The pirates regained strength later, to find an eventual solution, the Roman emperor appointed Anthiochus with extensive powers.

In spite Anthiochus enlarged the Empire's borders the pirates day by day grew even stronger and continued to harass many towns and cities along the Mediterranean shores. Pirates went even further by kidnapping the daughter of Anthiochus and annoyed the Romans furiously. This time to find an absolute ending to these harassment's the Roman Emperor appointed Pompeus who was one of the most powerful commanders of the army to put a stop to the pirates activities.

With his merciless attacks from the land and sea this commander wiped out the pirates, who had terrorized the Mediterranean for many years, to the degree that they could not develop strength again.

The Romans who ruled these regions in every sense handed over the Kilikia region to Antonius after the death of Caesar.

In these periods while the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, known with her beauty world wide, was touring in the Mediterranean she met Antonius. After falling in love with each other Cleopatra and Antonius got married. As a wedding gift Antonius gave Coracesium (Alanya) to Cleopatra.

It is known that in this period the cedar and pine trees extending as far as the coast had been cut by Cleopatra and sent to Egypt to be used in the construction of ships for her fleet.

Not being able to stand the relation between Antonius and Cleopatra Octavius in Rome declared a war against them. At that time Cleopatra and Antonius were in Greece. The lovers met a great assault from Octavius and escaped to the forelands of Alexandria.

Fearing capture the lovers killed themselves using a snake firstly Antonius and later Cleopatra with a bite to her bosoms. The places torn down by Pompeii's during the campaign against the pirates were rebuilt by the Romans in a better way. The best example of these are the churches in the castle and on the Cilvarda nose and also the Asarlyk Churches in the town of Mahmutlar and nearby the Kargycak Village.

After being rebuilt by the Romans Coracesium (Alanya) preserved its importance until VII th century, and later when the Arab attacks had started it gained greater importance.

During the Byzantine period it was named Kolonoros meaning "beautiful mountain". The old name Coracesium was said to be meant "Gokkarga", and furthermore inhabitants were said to be named "gokkargalylar". Gokkarga is a kind of bird seen often in the old times in Alanya, with its many colors this beautiful bird can nevertheless be seen rarely around Camyolu and the Mahmutlar regions.