Syedra

Referring to Antalya, people immediately think of the sites of ancient cities. Near the city center of Antalya, you can find wonderful places like Perge, Xanthos, Termessos, etc. Among them, there is a beautiful and extremely interesting place: Syedra. This is one of the most ancient cities worth seeing in Alanya. Located in the village of Seki, this archaeological site holds the remains of a typical ancient Roman settlement.

Syedreon, on the western border of the Cilician Region, was first settled in the 7th century BC and abandoned in the 13th century AD. It is located on the Alanya-Mersin highway, 23 km east of Alanya, along the coast, at an elevation of 400m above water level. In the mid-1st century BC, it was first mentioned in literature as part of Cilicia.

Excavation campaigns began in 1994 under the direction of the Alanya Museum. Many structures were found including temples, theatres, shops, bathhouses, city walls and several cisterns that supplied water to the inhabitants. In 2011, archaeologists conducted underwater research and were able to date several monuments from the port at Syedra to the Bronze Age, about 5,000 years before our time.

Syedra is a typical Roman settlement with many ruins that have survived to this day. Among the ruins are rows of sizable plaster basins powered by natural water, baptismal caverns, magnificent bathtubs with vestiges of mosaic floors, a gymnasium, a block of streets, and shops. , a temple, a theatre, churches, administrative buildings and graveyards. The monumental gate at the city gate is almost intact.

The ruins of the city walls surrounding the city can be easily seen. Just below the church you will see a large warehouse that was used as a water tank. This was once the center of the city and a meeting point for people for life and social activities. The best place to get the full view here is at the top of the hills. When looking towards the sea from the top of the capital, you can see green banana groves and Alanya castle.

You can visit Syedra every day except Monday. In summer, the relic is open from 08:30 to 19:00 and in winter from 08:30 to 17:30. There is no fee to visit the ancient city of Syedra. You can reach the ruins by car, or take a bus from Alanya city.