Being one
of the most unique examples of medieval Mediterranean defense structures from
the 13th century, Red Tower was built by the order of Alaeddin Keyqubad I, the
Seljuk ruler, given to Ebu Ali Reha el Kettani, who was a master builder from
Aleppo, in order to protect the harbour, the shipyard and Alanya Castle against
attacks from the sea.
The
Red Tower has, and still does, attract attention with its breathtaking views
and as such it has been the subject of many books. Evliya Celebi, a 17th
century traveller, stated that “there is a solid octagonal tower at the seaside
of the Castle of Alanya. This tower can hold two thousand (2000) men during a siege
and the second gateman who lives in here has forty (40) soldiers”.
Due
to having been built on a bedrock with a sloping ground, the structure is 33 meters
tall at its east, but 3 meters shorter at its west. At the bottom main walls,
rectangular limestones, uniformly cut and stuck together, and classic shafts
were used. At the upper sections meanwhile, red bricks were used.
There is a
writing that says “Gratitude to Allah” on the north wall of the structure, and
below it there is a four-line inscription which is 10 meters up from the
ground, written on the behalf of Alaeddin Keyqubad, which states the
construction’s starting date as April 1226. There is also another writing on the
south wall related to the construction. A construction inscription on the right
wall of the entrance which states the name of the master who built the
structure is also present. There are a total of fifty-six (56) crenel windows
at the facades of the Red Tower, while there are twenty-two (22) spans for
pouring hot pitch and water and six (6) gargoyles inline to repel and to make it
impossible to escape.
With
its octagonal plan, the Red Tower has a complex interior plan, contrary to its
exterior view. The Red Tower has five floors: The ground and the first floors,
the entresol, the open floor and the open terrace.
In
opposition to the monumental appearance of the structure, the ground floor can
be reached by a small and simple entrance and a narrow corridor, probably due
to military purposes. The octagonal pillar in the centre is surrounded by a
vaulted corridor. According to Ibrahim Hakkı Konyalı, during the early days of the
structure, at the ground and first floors, there were lowered rooms made from
wood, which extended from the beginning of the corridor vault to the upper
cover, used by the guards to rest. Today, the ground floor is used as an
exhibition area.
Reached
by high, stone steps; a large cistern is placed on the upper part of the foot
in the centre of the 1st floor. Even today, it is still functioning. The mouth
of the cistern is found at the open floor.
On
the floor of the corridor close to the cistern, a ventilation shaft each was
placed in the centre of the octagonal sides. The door at the northwestern side
of the structure, which is at the floor used as an exhibition area, opens to
the exterior walls. A big ship graffiti can be seen on the right wall.
There
are spans for pouring hot pitch and water at the entresol that is shaped like a
narrow corridor.
There are a
total of sixteen (16) air shafts placed in two rows at the mouth and at the surroundings
of the cistern in the centre of the open terrace. Light can enter from these
shafts and reach the first floor.
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