Being one of the places that deserve the title Tourism Paradise and welcoming guests from all over the world in summer, Alanya’s fame comes from its magnificent beaches and facilities with superior service quality. Furthermore, there are ancient cities around Alanya, which has a rich history that will take visitors on a journey through time. Syedra, which is located about 20 km from the county seat, offering a bird’s-eye view of the Mediterranean, is one of these places.
Syedra, whose foundation dates back to the 7th century BC, was among the most strategic cities of the region due to its location on one of the most critical points of the road following the Mediterranean coastline to the south of the Taurus Mountains. Syedra had the characteristics of both a mountain and a coastal city accommodated two settlements, and the Upper Town, one these settlements, was on a slope at an altitude of 400 meters, where the buildings were gradually placed and the passage to different levels was provided by stairs. The Lower City section extends from the southwestern slopes to the coastline. Syedra, which is proved to be a significant sports hub and have the most glorious years in the 2nd to 4th centuries AC thanks to the inscriptions uncovered during the excavations, was abandoned along with other settlements in the 13th century, but it is possible to take a time travel in company with ancient buildings in this settlement where nobody lived for centuries.
Excavations in the lower part of the Syedra, called the Lower City, have uncovered spectacular mosaics and some building remains. However, public buildings and the settlement are mostly in the Upper City section. This section is entered through a monumental gate as it was hundreds of years ago.
The 250-meter-long colonnaded street just behind the gate was once the city’s social center and the most intense gathering point of people. Research has shown that part of the road is covered with a roof so that people was able to be protected from the sun.
Located on the western end of the Colonnaded Street and climbed by stairs, this structure, which has also one of the most beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea, is supposed to be Heroon, i.e. a Mausoleum. The existing remains of the bath, among the most magnificent buildings of the city, prove that the floor was once completely covered with mosaics. The gymnasium, where sports competitions were held, and olive processing workshops are the other structures giving clues about what life was like in the city.
The ‘Cistern Cave’ is one of the many water sources of the cisterns with inner parts covered with plaster in the city. These cisterns are still used by the local people for irrigation purposes.
Another place of interest is the ‘Baptism Cave’ which was built by carving into the rocks close to the Cistern Cave and adorned with frescoes; its name is originated from its religious function deduced by the pool in it.
Source : https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=ASY01&DistId=MRK
