The Red Tower (Turkish: Kızıl Kule) is a historical tower in the Turkish city of Alanya. The building is considered to be the symbol of the city, and is used on the city's flag.
| Red Tower | |
|---|---|
Kızıl Kule | |
 The Tower as seen from the water | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Tower |
| Architectural style | Seljuk |
| Location | Alanya, Turkey |
| Completed | 1226 |
| Height | 33 m |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 29 m |
History
editConstruction of the building began in the early reign of the Anatolian Seljuq Sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I and was completed in 1226. The sultan brought the accomplished architect Ebu Ali Reha from Aleppo, Syria, to Alanya to complete the building.[1] The octagonal red brick tower protects the Tersane (shipyard) which dates from 1221.
The name derives from the more red color brick he used in its construction.[2] The building itself is 33 m (108 ft) high and 12.5 m (41 ft) wide.[3] It remains one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture, and is the best preserved Seljuk building in the city.[citation needed]
In 1979 the city opened the Ethnographic Museum of Alanya inside of the tower.[4] Besides providing visitors with a history of the tower and town, the museum gives attention to the heraldry, in particular the Seljuq double headed eagle that is used on the city flag.
The tower was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 250,000 lira banknotes from 1992 to 2005.[5]
References
edit- ^ www.turkishclass.com
- ^ "Ancient cities and historical sites - Alanya". www.antalya-ws.com. Antalya Web Site. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
- ^ www.sunsearch.info/alanya Archived August 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ www.kenthaber.com Archived February 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Archived 2009-06-03 at WebCite. Banknote Museum: 7. Emission Group - Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Turkish Lira - I. Series Archived 2008-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, II. Series Archived 2008-11-22 at the Wayback Machine & III. Series Archived 2008-11-22 at the Wayback Machine. – Retrieved on 20 April 2009.