Red Tower (Alanya)

The Red Tower (Kızıl Kule) is an early 13th century Seljuk-era defensive tower located on the harbour in Alanya, Antalya Province, Turkey, completed in 1226. It forms part of the harbour fortifications and is a landmark of the town’s historic waterfront.

The tower is octagonal in plan and stands about 33 metres tall; it was built to guard the shipyard and anchorage and provides defensive coverage over the harbour mouth. A museum in the tower interprets the maritime and military history of Alanya.

Commissioned during the reign of Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, the tower and adjacent shipyard were part of a wider programme of coastal fortification and naval infrastructure in the early 13th century. The complex has survived as a visible and largely intact example of Seljuk coastal architecture.

The tower sits at the head of Alanya’s historic harbour on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey, adjacent to the town’s historic peninsula and near the Seljuk shipyard area.

• Date and dimensions: Constructed in 1226, the octagonal tower is approximately 33 metres high and was built to protect the medieval harbour and shipyard.
• Local significance: The structure's distinctive red brickwork and octagonal profile make it the prominent symbol of Alanya's waterfront and a common viewpoint across the harbour.

What to See #

• Tower interior museum: The tower's interior houses a small museum that displays maritime and local archaeological exhibits related to Alanya's medieval harbour.
• Seljuk shipyard (Tersane): Directly inland from the tower is the historic Seljuk shipyard area, a rectangular basin and dock complex dating from the same early 13th century programme of harbour fortification.