Eurasia Mega Trip 2026 - Day Twenty And Twenty-One - Historic Alanya Castle

 I should have actually titled this 'Return of Day Nineteen'. Because while we were doing our photo workshop, we were also visiting Alanya Castle. And we got to see quite a bit of Alanya city as well. It was the first time we had ventured from Mahmutlar and it was quite good to get a feel for the full aspect of the city. But I want to focus my introduction on the Castle for it is a real opportunity for a history buff like de-I. 

As background, I have been doing tons of reading about the phenomenal civilizations of Central Asia during the period from about 500 BC to the time of the Mongol conquest in the early part of the 13th century. Without going into detail (for which people have written books), it was a time when this part of the world was arguably the most advanced in terms of civilized activity - from beautiful cities, to sophisticated water systems, to science and engineering, mathematics, literature and poetry, etc. I had always thought about traveling so someplace like Uzbekistan that was in the heart of that region hoping to see things from that era. However, doing research, I found that there is actually precious little that remains. The Mongols did such a good job of wiping out the major cities of the area, that all there are now are echos of ruins. 

I certainly didn't expect to find here in Alanya a site that not only dates from the end of that period but was a major location. 

Alanya's history goes back to the Hellenistic period. During the late Roman Republic period, it was known as a key base for pirates. In fact, the famous anti-pirate campaign conducted by Pompey in the 2nd century BC culminated in a battle off the coast of Alanya. It became a Roman and then Byzantine city. But, at the same time that the Mongols were wiping out much of Central Asian civilization, one of the last Central Asian dynasties, the Seljuk Turks, set-up camp in the Anatolian peninsula with Alanya being made the Winter Capital of its Sultan. So the ruins we are seeing today date from that time.

 Cast of Characters

Photo Workshop Leader Vadim...a very serious guy

 

 

 Actually, he is very serious, just not when you take a picture of him

The pirate theme is alive and well in Alanya

 

 

 

Walking toward the castle

 

 I find a ME from another part of the multiverse passing through our dimension!

 

 The castle is built on a peninsula and has a lower section that was guarding the harbor

 

 

 This includes the shipyard where the Seljuk navy was based

 

 And there was the upper castle that was essentially a city

 

 

 Miscellaneous

 

 Maybe...we'll see

The fuel that kept me going through our photo workshop

 

Turkish Coffee

 

Türkiye and Cats

 

I remember in the times we've been to Istanbul, the proliferation of cats, and tiny facilities to provide for them. Cats were all over Alanya

 

 

Even a Cat Resort

 

 

SIGNS OF THE WORLD

 

 

This sign was smack dab in the heart of the city. It says "A Cat May Come Out"

 

 

Warning that Inter-Dimensional portals are in the area

 

 

As the Sultans started to have troubles paying for soldiers to defend the castle, they put these "Attacking Prohibited" signs around the walls