Alanya Shipyard

Alanya Tersanesi, Antalya’s Alanya district, within the fortress and harbor fabric, is a significant historical structure associated with Seljuk maritime activities. Due to its location facing the Mediterranean Sea, its five-bay plan, and its original architectural layout, the dockyard is regarded as a prime example of pre-Ottoman naval infrastructure serving both military and shipbuilding and maintenance functions. It is noted as the first dockyard built by the Seljuks in the Mediterranean and the only surviving Seljuk dockyard in the world.^【1】

^{Alanya Tersanesi (}Alanya Municipality⁾

Alanya Tersanesi is situated at the point where the Alanya Kalesi fortification system meets the sea, facing the old harbor. Access to the structure is via a narrow entrance gate with round arches, leading from the former harbor to the northwest. Approximately four meters above this gate, a five-line relief inscription praises I. Alaaddin Keykubat as “sultan of the land and the two seas”; between two rosettes, the sultan’s coat of arms is visible.

To the right of the entrance gate is a small mosque arranged as a projecting space; to the left is a five-windowed chancery used by dockyard officials for administrative purposes. The dockyard, with its direct contact with the sea and its adaptation to the rocky terrain, forms an integral part of a unified maritime and military complex that includes the harbor, towers, and fortification walls.

The dockyard was constructed in 1228 by the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan I. Alaaddin Keykubat. The same sultan also commissioned the Sinop Dockyard on the Black Sea coast, which contributed to his title of “sultan of the two seas”; Alanya Tersanesi is one of the tangible expressions of this title in the Mediterranean.^【2】

During the Seljuk period, Alanya became one of the central hubs for naval operations and maritime trade. The dockyard was planned as a permanent facility for the construction, maintenance, and winter berthing of warships. It functioned as an infrastructure unit supporting Seljuk naval power through engineering, storage, and armament preparation processes in the Mediterranean.

^{Alanya Tersanesi Architectural Structure (}Alanya Municipality⁾

Alanya Tersanesi is a structure composed of five barrel-vaulted bays aligned parallel to the coast. The dockyard measures approximately 57 meters in length and 40 meters in depth. Each bay is about 7.70 meters wide; their lengths vary between 43 and 32 meters.

Walls are constructed of cut stone, while arches and vaults are built of brick. The openings in the vaults serve as functional elements for ventilation and illumination, allowing daylight to enter and smoke to escape. On the landward side of the bays, where seawater does not penetrate, the floor is partially pebbled and partially natural rock surface. A freshwater well is located on the landward side of the third bay, representing a crucial element in meeting the water needs of shipbuilding and repair activities.

The structure was built at varying levels to maximize natural light, with minimal excavation of the rocky terrain. Adjacent to the dockyard, a storage chamber carved into the rock receives light through an opening in the ceiling, forming a secure enclosed storage area that enhances its functionality.

Among the decorative elements of the dockyard, the Zülfikar frescoes in the mosque located to the right of the entrance gate are particularly notable. During conservation and restoration works carried out as part of the Maritime and Ship Museum project, two opposing frescoes depicting Zülfikar were uncovered on the walls of this mosque. The Zülfikar motif is emphasized through wall paintings within the mosque interior, thereby positioning the dockyard not only as a testament to Seljuk maritime heritage but also as a structure imbued with symbolic and faith-based meaning.

Throughout its period of construction, Alanya Tersanesi was used for the building, maintenance, and winter berthing of both warships and merchant vessels. It is noted that the dockyard was not merely a shipbuilding facility or a winter anchorage; it also included ironworks for repairs and sail and rigging production, as well as administrative and storage areas, making it a permanent and comprehensive dockyard. Permanent dockyards served two primary purposes: enabling the construction of large vessels during winter and housing inactive ships.

Alanya’s geographic position, its strategic importance in the Mediterranean, and the integrated planning of the dockyard with towers and defensive structures demonstrate that the complex was designed as a secure naval base for both military and commercial purposes. Thus, during the Seljuk period, the dockyard fulfilled a central role in supporting both maritime trade and naval operations.^【3】

Today, Alanya Tersanesi has been restored and is protected as a cultural heritage site, operating as a museum. Through collaborative efforts by Alanya Municipality, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Alanya Museum, the “Maritime and Ship Museum” project has been implemented within the structure.

The Alanya Tersanesi Maritime and Ship Museum displays various artifacts including medieval cranes and catapults, battering ram-like siege equipment, tools used in boat construction, and pazar kayığı vessels used for transport during the Ottoman period. Additionally, replicas illustrating the construction stages of a “çekevele” type vessel from the Ottoman era have been incorporated into the museum’s exhibits.

Through this arrangement, Alanya Tersanesi functions as a museum that presents the Seljuk maritime heritage alongside the structure’s original architectural fabric, transforming into a cultural space that concretely embodies both Alanya’s historical identity and the maritime history of the Mediterranean.