Alanya Old Town (Tophane)
Alanya, Turkey
Red Tower, Alanya
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Photo: Julian Lupyan, CC0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Paid, price being verified
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Opening times
- Daily; guides give 9:00–19:00 in summer, to 17:00–17:30 in winter
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 45 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Combined ticket
- Sold with the Tersane shipyard and other sites — ask what it covers
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Payment
- Bring a bank card — cash may not be accepted
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time needed
- ≈ 45 minutes including the climb to the top
- Getting there
- Walk south along the harbour to its end, 10–20 minutes from the centre
- Address
- End of İskele Caddesi, Alanya harbour
Key facts
1226completed under the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I
3 sourcesi
Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismAlanya MunicipalityEnglish and Turkish Wikipedia33 mtall on the east side; the west side is 3 m lower, as the rock beneath slopes
3 sourcesi
Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismAlanya MunicipalityEnglish and Turkish Wikipedia8 sidesan octagonal plan, each wall 12.5 m long
2 sourcesi
Turkish and Russian WikipediaTurkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (octagonal plan)Ebu Ali of Aleppothe architect named in the inscription to the right of the entrance
2 sourcesi
Alanya MunicipalityEnglish, Turkish and Russian Wikipedia5 floorscounting the open roof terrace; the Wikipedias give 85 stone steps to the top
2 sourcesi
Alanya Municipality (floors)Turkish and Russian Wikipedia (floors and steps)Cisternfor water at the centre of the tower, still in working order
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Alanya MunicipalityTurkish and Russian Wikipedia1979opened to visitors, with the Ethnographic Museum on the first floor
2 sourcesi
English, Turkish and Russian WikipediaTurkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (museum)Stone and bricklimestone below, red brick above — hence the name
2 sourcesi
Turkish WikipediaTurkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (named after the colour of its material)Harbour guardbuilt to protect the port and the Seljuk shipyard (Tersane)
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English and Turkish WikipediaAlanya Municipality250,000 lirathe tower was on the back of the Turkish banknote from 1992 to 2005
Sourcei
English and Turkish WikipediaRed Tower tickets and opening times
Entry is paid, but we could not confirm the current price from an official source: the Turkish Ministry of Culture’s museum portal has no page of its own for the tower, and the municipality does not publish fees. Figures in travel guides and from visitors differ several times over, so we don’t quote one — check at the ticket desk by the entrance.
Travel guides agree that a combined ticket exists: the tower with the Tersane shipyard, sometimes with more — some list Damlataş Cave, others part of the castle. Ask at the desk what it covers; if you are seeing the shipyard too, buy it here and skip a second queue.
Opening times differ between sources as well. Guides say the tower is open daily, roughly 9:00–19:00 in summer and until 17:00 or 17:30 in winter. An older lunch break and Monday closure listed on Russian Wikipedia are not confirmed anywhere else. The castle above, according to the Ministry, is open daily 8:00–18:30.
Bring a bank card: sources disagree, but cash may not be accepted at the desk, and some foreign cards are declined — carry a spare. The MüzeKart pass is for Turkish citizens only.
How to get to the Red Tower
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Alanya Old Town (Tophane) is about 4 min away on foot.
- Alanya Shipyard is about 4 min away on foot.
- Alanya Castle is about 17 min away on foot.
More tips
- From the town centre, head to the harbour and walk south along İskele Caddesi — past the restaurants and the pier for the boat trips. 10–20 minutes on foot, depending on where you start.
- The street ends at the tower itself; the ticket desk is at the harbour-side entrance.
- From Cleopatra Beach or Damlataş Cave on the west side of the peninsula it is 10–15 minutes on foot through the old town, or about 5 minutes by taxi.
- From Alanya Castle, come down Kale Caddesi by city bus or taxi to the harbour — or walk the old lanes downhill.
- From Mahmutlar, Oba or Konaklı, take a bus or dolmuş along Atatürk Bulvarı to the centre, then walk to the harbour. Check the route number and stop in the operator’s app — we found no reliable official list.
Is the Red Tower worth visiting?
Yes, if you are at the harbour anyway. In 45 minutes you see Alanya’s most famous building from the inside and the port from above. The museum is small — the real draw is the masonry, the stairs and the view.
Skip the climb on a hot afternoon if steps are a problem: 85 stone steps through stuffy halls are hard work in summer. The tower looks great from outside and from a boat, and the wider panorama is up at Alanya Castle — take the cable car.
A short history of the Red Tower
In 1221 the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I captured the coastal fortress, renamed the town Alaiye after himself and turned it into a Seljuk naval base on the Mediterranean. He added the shipyard, the Tophane and a palace in the inner citadel; the Red Tower was finished in 1226 to guard the harbour from the sea.
He brought in an architect, Ebu Ali of Aleppo, to complete it. The lower part is limestone, with reused ancient marble blocks; the upper storeys are red brick because stone was too heavy to haul that high. That colour gave the tower its name — Kızılkule, ‘Red Tower’.
It stayed a military building for centuries, was restored in the 1950s and opened to visitors in 1979 with the Ethnographic Museum on its first floor.
What to see inside
- The Ethnographic Museum on the lower floors — local life and crafts of Alanya; it is small, 10–15 minutes is plenty.
- The central cistern — it still holds water, and the halls and stairs wrap around it.
- The building inscription to the right of the entrance, naming the architect, and a ship scratched into the wall.
- The stone staircase, 85 steps, and the narrow slit windows in the thick walls.
- The roof terrace — the port full of tour boats, the seafront and the castle hill rising behind.
- The sea wall running south from the tower’s base towards the Tersane shipyard.
- The tower from the water — from a harbour boat trip you see it standing on the rock right at the sea’s edge.
Where to get the best photos
The classic shot is from the harbour promenade: the whole tower with the castle walls on the hill behind. Better still is from a boat, with the rock and water at its base.
Early morning is ideal — soft light and an empty harbour. Late afternoon works too; at midday the light is harsh and the seafront is busy.
Before you go: checklist
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Red Tower vs the castle and the shipyard
| Red Toweryou are here | 1226 tower on the harbour | Museum and port view | End of the harbour promenade | ≈ 45 min | Yes, but lots of steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alanya Castle | Walls and inner citadel on the hill | Panorama over both beaches | Top of the peninsula | 2–3 h | Yes |
| Tersane shipyard | Seljuk shipyard at the water | 13th-century arched docks | Next to the tower, along the sea wall | ≈ 30–45 min | Yes |
The tower and the shipyard are one walk down by the sea; the castle is a separate half-day up top. Short on time? Choose the castle and see the tower from the promenade.
Alanya’s historic sights compared
Every historic sight in Alanya rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Alanya Old Town (Tophane) | 43 | 1 h | Free | 4 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alanya Shipyard | 39 | 30 min | Price being verified | 4 min walk |
| Red Toweryou are here | 38 | 45 min | Paid, price being verified | — |
| Alanya Castle | 35 | 2 h 30 min | Walls free, İç Kale ≈ €12 | 10 min walk |
| Syedra | 22 | 1 h 30 min | €7 for foreigners, under-8s free | 17.4 km |
Old Alanya in a day: harbour to beach
The tower and shipyard by the sea in the morning, up to the castle, then the cable car down to the cave and the beach. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.
- Red Toweryou are here45 min · Paid, price being verified
- 4 min walk from the previous stopAlanya Shipyard30 min · Price being verified
- 9 min walk from the previous stopAlanya Castle2 h 30 min · Walls free, İç Kale ≈ €12
- 19 min walk from the previous stopDamlataş Cave30 min · ≈ 225 TL, children less
- 17 min walk from the previous stopCleopatra Beach3 h · Free entry, sunbeds extra
5 places · about 8 h 4 min with walks · 49 min on foot in total
Nearby — add to your day
How to do it right
- Pair the tower with the Tersane shipyard, a few minutes’ walk along the sea wall.
- The best view of the tower is from a harbour boat trip — they leave right from the promenade.
- Go in the morning: the stone halls are cooler and photos are easier before noon.
- No stairs for you? Admire the tower from outside and ride the cable car up to Alanya Castle.
- Carry a card — Turkish museum desks may refuse cash.
Questions
How much is the Red Tower entrance fee?
Entry is paid. We could not confirm today’s price from an official source, and guides quote very different figures — check at the desk and bring a bank card.
Is there a combined ticket for the Red Tower and the shipyard?
Yes, guides agree a combined ticket with the Tersane shipyard is sold at the desk; some versions add Damlataş Cave or part of the castle. Ask what it covers before you pay.
What are the Red Tower opening hours?
There is no official timetable. Guides say it opens daily, roughly 9:00–19:00 in summer and until 17:00–17:30 in winter, so a morning visit is safest.
Where is the Red Tower in Alanya?
On the harbour, at the end of İskele Caddesi, at the eastern foot of the castle peninsula — 10–20 minutes’ walk from the centre.
How do I get to the Red Tower?
Walk south along the harbour promenade from the centre, 10–20 minutes. From Cleopatra Beach it is 10–15 minutes on foot; from Mahmutlar or Oba take a bus along Atatürk Bulvarı.
Is the Red Tower worth it?
Yes, if you are at the harbour: 45 minutes for the museum, the stairs and the port view. On a hot day, seeing it from outside and from a boat is enough.
How tall is the Red Tower?
33 metres, with eight walls of 12.5 metres each, five floors and 85 steps to the top.
Who built the Red Tower?
The Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I; it was completed in 1226 by the architect Ebu Ali of Aleppo.
Why is it called the Red Tower?
Its upper storeys are red brick. Kızılkule simply means ‘Red Tower’ in Turkish.
How long do you need at the Red Tower?
About 45 minutes with the climb to the roof. Add the Tersane shipyard next door and it is an hour and a half to two hours.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, museums portal: Alanya Kalesi — Red Tower, shipyard and castle hours, 30.10.2026
- Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi): Red Tower page, 30.10.2026
- Travel guides Sputnik8 and Tourism Attractions: opening times and combined ticket, 30.10.2026
- English Wikipedia: Red Tower (Alanya)
- Turkish Wikipedia: Kızılkule
- Russian Wikipedia: Kyzyl Kule; Wikidata Q2470666
- Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi): Tarihi Yerler, Tarihçe
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