Description of the attraction
Near the main attraction of Alanya - the Byzantine fortress on the mountain - there is the amazingly beautiful Suleymaniye mosque, built during the reign of the Seljuks. It is believed that the main reason that the Seljuks paid very much attention to Alanya is the fact that it was closer to the path leading to Konya (the capital of the Seljuks) than Antalya.
The Suleymaniye Mosque was erected in 1231 in the upper part of the fortress just outside Ich-Kale (which is also called the "Inner Fortress") during the redevelopment of the city by Sultan Aladdin Keykubat I. But the mosque was destroyed in subsequent years, and it was rebuilt again in the 16th century under Sultan Suleiman the Legislator. The mosque has one minaret. Now it is called differently: either the Aladdin Mosque, the Fortress Mosque, or Suleymaniye. It is built of stone and has the shape of a square. To provide the mosque with good acoustics, fifteen small balls are suspended under its dome. This is especially noticeable during prayer. The windows and gates of the mosque, made of wood, are representative examples of the art of wood carving during the Ottoman Empire.
The Suleymaniye Mosque complex includes a palace, schools and military buildings. All these buildings were located in the middle of the fortress and belong to the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.
