At the Kadrini Cave located in the North-East human skeletons and fossils were discovered in excavations which date the settlement of Alanya back to the Neolithic Age.
 
In the first half of the 14th Century Clicia and Pamphylia were contributed by Hittites. Pamphylia means polygenus, polyrace, arise many interests of many civilisations in the past. The ancient city founded on the same location where Alanya is situated today was named Caracesium. This ancient city deemed to be in Cilicia and sometimes in the Pamphylian region. Its geographical location in convenient for defence, and the perfect harbour made it a heaven for pirates and rebels. For this reason it was Cilician City which resisted Antiochos III. After a half of a century, one of the native lords, Diodotos Tryphon refused the boundation to Antiochos VII, in a similar way.
 
In the fırst century the Roman Empire was constrained politically and economically by pirate activities in the Mediterranean Sea. Because of the requisition of cereal ships Rome has been confronted with famine risk. The wars directed by Publius Servilius charged in Cilicia in 199 B.C. remained ineffective. Pompeius who was sent by the Roman Senate in 65 B.C. destroyed all pirate fortresses by land and sea. At least the pirate fleet has been destroyed in the naval battle taken place in front of Caracesium. After the death of Caesar the Cilician region has been placed under the administration of Antonius and the Romans ruled over this region. Caracesium was given to the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra as a wedding gift by Antonius. It is known that the cedar trees along the coast has been disrooted and taken to Egypt for the ship construction by Cleoaptra.
 
About the situation of Caracesium in the Byzantine and Christian times nothing is known. Together with the neighbouring cities Pamphylia accepted the Christianity in early times. The churches in the fortresses had been built in that time. At the same time the name of the city changed into Kolonoros which means "beautiful mountain".
 
After the occupation of Antalya by Seljuks the dominance on the Mediterranean Sea seemed to be possible by attaining of Kolonoros. Due to its strategical importance the Alanya fortress was taken over by Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat I from Lord Kir Fart according to an agreement and named it Alayie after himself. The proximity to the Seljuk capital Konya and the perfect harbour built by Allaadin Keykubat caused the rapid improvement of the city. As a winter residence of the Sultan, the city was adorned by magnificent monuments evoking admiration today. Alanya is one of the best preserved Seljuk cities in Anatolia. Alaiye was ruled by Karamans after the falldown of the Seljuk Empire. Alaiye has been procured by the Ottoman Empire at the time of Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Fatih the Conquerer). In consequence of the growth of the Ottoman Empire the alteration of the trade roads, the reduced naval trade in the Eastern Mediterranean, Alaiye lost its importance.
 
In 1933 the district was named as Alanya by Kemal Atatürk . Scened many historical civilizations Alanya is a rich district which its ancient cities, fortresses, dockyard and mosques.

On the top of the Kandeler with the rest of survival the centuries the castle of Alanya is the only one in good condition from the Seljuks. In 1225 the castle has been rebuilt by the Anatolian Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat instead to repair the ruins of the old castle from the Romans.
 
His value became the castle from the aristocracy of the Alaiye time and was later occupied from the Ottomans in 1471. Constructs with indoor and outdoor sectors, surround with three ramparts the castle has 83 towers and 140 domes. The castle is full of historical richness with his Ayayorgi church, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman mosque, Seljuks steam bath, market, antique shop, Sitti Zeynep monument, Sultan Alaaddin palace, large and small rumparts, lighthouse and dungeon.
 
It is placed at a point where the coast wall encircling. The Alanya Fortress from cast and the nord walls are coming together. The inscription on the tower tells us that it had been built by a architect named Kettanizade Ebu Ali by Alaaddin Keybubatin 1225-1227. The octangonal tower has a diameter of 29 metres and is 33 metres high. Inside, it is 5 storeyed and has a complex plan, in connection of defence systems. The section arising from the middle of the tower up to the fourth floor is forming the spine of the tower and has also the function of a cistern. The fortress wall was built of pebbles in two lower floors and are paved by lined rectangular blocks. The upper floors are built of reddish bricks. The Tower has been restored between 1951-1957.
 
It is located in the 150 metres in the west of The Red Tower, it is the unique Seljuk dockyard surviving until our day. This construction is 57 metre long and 40 metre wide, comprising a 5-vaulted site separted by inner walls. The Dockyard's entrance is the gate next to The Red Tower. According to the inscriptions, it was built by Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat in 1227. The chamber at the left of the gate was used as a little mosque by the employees. The alight chamber at the right supposed to be used as an office. The two storeyed tower at the western section of the dockyard was built against the attacks from sea and land.
 
The tower named Tophane was built on the rocks in a rectangular plan and 19 metres high. The lower storeys have windows looking out at the sea and land. The chambers in the upper storeys are different. The cistern providing water for tower guards is still in a good condition and in service.